"Street Without Kickboards"... Selected as Seoul's Best Administrative Initiative

A Total of 21 Cases of Proactive Administration Selected
Expanding Recognition and Rewards for Proactive Efforts in Daily Operations
Special Promotions and Top-Grade Performance Bonuses Awarded

The administrative initiative that strengthened pedestrian safety by introducing the nation's first "Street Without Kickboards" has been selected as the best case of proactive administration in Seoul for the first half of 2026. The city plans to reward the officials responsible by recognizing them as outstanding public servants and granting incentives such as special leave and accelerated promotion.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on May 21, the city collected exemplary cases of proactive administration from March 18 to April 10, receiving a total of 64 entries. On May 19, Seoul selected one best case, three excellence cases, and six encouragement cases as the final awardees.

The Hongdae Red Road area in Mapo-gu, Seoul, operating as a 'Scooter-Free Zone.' Photo by Yonhap News

The grand prize went to the implementation of the nation's first "Street Without Kickboards." The operation of these kickboard-free zones had no domestic precedent, and was introduced for the first time through persuasion and cooperation with related agencies, including the police and local districts, in areas such as Red Road in Hongdae, Mapo-gu, and the Banpo Academy District in Seocho-gu. This initiative was recognized as an excellent example for improving the pedestrian environment and has since been benchmarked by other local governments.

The excellence awards were given to: ▲ the installation of virtual speed bumps at the entrances and exits of Han River bridge ramps to reduce the risk of accidents; ▲ the attachment of pedal misapplication prevention devices to vehicles of elderly drivers who depend on driving for their livelihood but struggle to surrender their licenses, thereby preventing traffic accidents; and ▲ dramatically increasing revenue through successful negotiations on sewage treatment costs with other local governments.

Seoul City selected the contributors of these proactive administration cases as outstanding public officials. They receive exceptional incentives, including two days of special leave, accelerated promotion, and the highest grade (S) performance bonus.

In March of this year, Seoul newly launched the "Jeokttoma" program, which allows public officials to be rewarded even for small achievements that improve citizen satisfaction, such as resolving difficult civil complaints or alleviating citizen inconvenience in their routine work. This is a revamped version of the previous proactive administration mileage program. While the prior system awarded mileage by category and provided incentives when points were accumulated, Jeokttoma offers immediate rewards of up to the maximum score (10 points) based on a qualitative evaluation of outstanding proactive administration cases.

Since introducing Jeokttoma in March, Seoul has discovered and rewarded 11 cases of proactive administration. Notable examples include: a public official who introduced "umbrella etiquette" announcements on buses; a public official who swiftly and courteously handled civil complaints related to animal feed imports, ensuring smooth company imports and customs clearance; and a public official who converted staff-only space at the Han River Information Center into an open-access shower room, enhancing convenience for citizens.

Moon Hyuk, Chairman of the Seoul Audit Committee, stated, "The 21 cases selected this time are the result of proactive efforts by public officials to improve citizen satisfaction beyond their assigned work," adding, "Seoul City will foster a public sector dedicated to active service for citizens by operating incentive systems not only for innovative policies and large-scale projects, but also for exemplary proactive work in day-to-day tasks."

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