Seoul Station Plaza Designated as No-Smoking Zone... 100,000 KRW Fine for Violations

56,000㎡ Around Plaza and Surrounding Roads Designated as No-Smoking Zone
Jung-gu to Implement After Guidance Period Starting This June

Seoul Station Plaza is being transformed into a 'smoke-free plaza.'

Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gil-seong) announced on the 18th that from June 1st this year, approximately 56,000㎡ around Seoul Station Plaza and the surrounding roads will be designated as a no-smoking zone, and a fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed for smoking on-site. Joint crackdowns will also be conducted in cooperation with Yongsan-gu and the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station.

Jung-gu, Seoul will designate the area around Seoul Station Plaza and surrounding roads as a non-smoking zone starting June this year. Provided by Jung-gu.

Seoul Station Plaza is a key transportation hub in South Korea where the Gyeongbu Line, Honam Line, KTX, as well as Subway Lines 1 and 4, and the Airport Railroad intersect. Although about 300,000 people pass through daily, citizens have continuously raised complaints about indiscriminate smoking, secondhand smoke exposure to pedestrians, and cigarette butt littering.

Since April last year, the district has conducted on-site surveys on secondhand smoke conditions around Seoul Station Plaza and, in close consultation with related organizations such as Seoul City, Yongsan-gu (which shares an administrative boundary with Seoul Station Plaza), and Korea Railroad Corporation, designated Seoul Station Plaza as a no-smoking zone.

Among these, Jung-gu’s management area covers a total of 56,800㎡, including Seoul Station Plaza and the surrounding station area (about 43,000㎡) and the Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center area (about 13,800㎡). However, to promote coexistence between smokers and non-smokers, smoking booths managed by Korea Railroad Corporation are excluded from the no-smoking zone.

Earlier, in February, the district conducted a survey on the designation of the no-smoking zone targeting 703 citizens using Seoul Station Plaza. As a result, 84.9% of respondents supported the designation of the no-smoking zone at Seoul Station Plaza. Even among smokers, 43.5% agreed with the designation. Additionally, about half of the respondents (45%) reported experiencing 'significant discomfort' due to others smoking while using Seoul Station.

Before the no-smoking zone designation, the district will conduct intensive guidance and publicity until May this year. Starting with the administrative notice of the no-smoking zone designation at Seoul Station Plaza on the 12th, the district will cooperate with related organizations such as Seoul City, Yongsan-gu, and Korea Railroad Corporation to install no-smoking zone banners, pavement stickers, and signs intensively until May, aiming to improve public awareness.

District Mayor Kim Gil-seong said, “As the gateway to Seoul and a place where countless citizens pass through, we will thoroughly manage the no-smoking zone so that everyone can use Seoul Station Plaza in a clean and pleasant environment,” and added, “We will do our best to protect the health of citizens and local residents and to establish public order.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.