Speed Limit of 50 km/h on Major Roads Across Seoul... Excluding Motorways

Completion of Traffic Safety Facility Installation Related to 'Safe Speed 5030'
Speed Enforcement Starts from March 21 Next Year... Violation Notices Issued Even Before Implementation

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The speed limits on major roads throughout Seoul will be adjusted to a maximum of 50 km/h.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 20th that the 'Safe Speed 5030' policy, which has been expanded to enhance pedestrian safety and establish a traffic culture, will be extended to cover the entire city of Seoul ahead of the enforcement of the Road Traffic Act Enforcement Regulations next year.

The amended Road Traffic Act Enforcement Regulations, which took effect on April 17 last year, limit the basic speed limit on general urban roads to within 50 km/h, and after a two-year grace period, will be fully enforced nationwide starting April 17 next year. In line with this, Seoul has jointly prepared plans for the installation of traffic safety facilities with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and allocated budgets to the city’s road business office and district offices, completing construction recently.

The speed limits by road are based on the 'Safe Speed 5030 Design and Operation Manual' by the National Police Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, setting 50 km/h for arterial roads and 30 km/h for side roads as the standard, with adjustments allowed for certain roads depending on their function.

Accordingly, automobile-only roads requiring mobility such as Olympic-daero, Gangbyeonbuk-ro, and Naebu-sunhwan-ro will maintain their current speed limits of 70 to 80 km/h, while district roads managed by district offices will have a basic speed limit of 30 km/h, with sections requiring special pedestrian safety set at 20 km/h.

The changed speed limits will be communicated to drivers through traffic safety signs and road markings, and drivers must operate their vehicles according to the posted speed limits on these traffic safety facilities.

Speed enforcement related to this speed limit change will be implemented starting March 21 next year after a three-month grace period. During the grace period, violations will result in advance issuance of violation notices by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

Choi Byung-bu, head of the Traffic Management Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "The Safe Speed 5030 policy marks a paradigm shift in traffic safety from speed to safety, prioritizing people over vehicles," and urged, "We ask citizens to actively cooperate so that Seoul can truly become a traffic-advanced country that puts people first."