[Seoul District News] Seodaemun-gu Promotes Measures to Alleviate Odor-Related Citizen Discomfort and Create a Pleasant Walking Environment & Installs 38 Ginkgo Fruit Collection Nets, Replaces 40 Female Trees with Male Trees ... Dobong-gu Uses Harvesters Vibrating 800 Times per Minute for Early Fruit Collection, Operates Mobile Complaint Response Team & Expands Ginkgo Fruit Collection Devices to 82 Locations Including Changdong Jugong 17-19 Complex and Madeul-ro & Plans to Replace 48 Trees on Nohae-ro 66-gil and 42 Trees on Banghak-ro with Male Ginkgo Trees by End of October
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seongheon) will carry out ginkgo fruit shaking along the roadside for about a month starting at the end of this month to resolve citizen inconvenience caused by the foul odor of ginkgo fruit and to create a pleasant walking environment.
In particular, the district will introduce a vibration harvester this year to harvest ginkgo fruits early in areas with heavy traffic.
This equipment shakes the tree trunk 800 times per minute to drop the fruits, improving work efficiency compared to the traditional manual method.
The district will also install fruit collection nets on 38 ginkgo trees at six locations within this month to prevent fallen ginkgo fruits, and next month plans to replace 40 female trees with male trees in some sections such as Chungjeongno.
Among the 3,101 ginkgo trees in Seodaemun-gu, 1,341 are female trees. The district is gradually replacing female trees with male trees to fundamentally solve problems such as foul odor and pedestrian inconvenience.
Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “We will actively prevent ginkgo fruits fallen on the streets in autumn from causing inconvenience to citizens and continue to strive to create a pleasant urban green space.”
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eonseok) will harvest ginkgo fruits using a ‘ginkgo fruit vibration harvester’ from late September to October to eliminate the foul-smelling ginkgo fruits that are the main cause of odor in autumn, and will expand the installation of ‘ginkgo fruit collection devices’ in the area from 45 locations last year to 82 locations (an increase of 37).
Ginkgo trees, which color the autumn city yellow, are representative street trees planted throughout the area because they are resistant to pests and pollution. However, their fruits emit a foul odor and dirty the roads, causing problems in the city. Currently, among the 4,805 ginkgo street trees planted in Dobong-gu, 1,090 (22.7%) are female trees that bear fruit.
Accordingly, the district has taken measures to minimize residents’ inconvenience caused by ginkgo fruits before the full-fledged autumn foliage season begins.
The district improved the speed and efficiency of harvesting by using the ‘ginkgo fruit vibration harvester’ instead of the previous method of shaking fruits with a long pole. Previously, workers had to hit the fruits one by one while riding a ladder truck, but the vibration harvester shakes the tree about 800 times per minute to drop the fruits, greatly reducing work time and workload.
Especially in areas with many female ginkgo trees where residents frequently experience inconvenience, such as around Changdong Jugong Apartments Complexes 17, 18, and 19, and Madel-ro (from Daesang Town Hyundai Apartments to Seoul Northern District Court), 82 ‘ginkgo fruit collection devices’ will be installed. These devices catch the fruits in nets to prevent pedestrians from stepping on them or stains on the ground, and after collection, they are dismantled, stored, and reused the following year.
Additionally, to harvest roadside ginkgo fruits early, the district will organize a ‘ginkgo fruit harvesting task force’ operating from late September to November. The task force will handle civil complaints and focus on managing areas with heavy foot traffic such as bus stops, subway stations, and shopping districts.
Dobong-gu replaces female ginkgo trees with male trees that do not bear fruit every year. This year, 48 trees on Dobongsan-gil and Nohae-ro 66-gil, and 42 trees on Banghak-ro will be replaced and replanted by the end of October using 100 million won from the resident participation budget.
Oh Eonseok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, “Many residents suffer inconvenience every year because of ginkgo fruits. We will continue to replace female trees with male trees and install collection devices in appropriate places at the right time. We will do our best to make Dobong-gu a pleasant place to walk in autumn.”
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