Myeongdong Street Vendors Closed on Christmas Eve (December 24)

[Seoul District News] Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, which was stagnant due to COVID-19, is now bustling with tourists and citizens; learning from the Itaewon accident, proactive safety distancing & discussions with registered street vendors led to agreements on ▲full closure on December 24 ▲reduced operations on December 31... Seoul's Companion Dog Patrol appointed as No-Smoking Ambassadors & Gangdong-gu conducts no-smoking zone enforcement and promotion campaigns while walking with companion dogs, contributing to the spread of no-smoking culture

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) is making every effort to secure safe walking paths so that people can safely stroll through the Myeongdong streets crowded with year-end and New Year’s crowds.

Jung-gu is proactively securing safe distances, taking the Itaewon accident as a lesson, as the Myeongdong streets, which had been stagnant due to COVID-19, have recently become bustling with tourists and citizens.

In particular, it was judged that the sidewalks had become narrow due to the numerous street vendors lined up in Myeongdong, potentially causing safety accidents. Based on a consensus prioritizing safety, after discussions with street vendors operating under a real-name system, they agreed to a full closure on December 24, when the crowds are largest, and reduced operations on December 31.

This is a generous decision by the street vendors to voluntarily prioritize citizen safety despite Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve being peak business days.

The street vendors, although at an important time hoping for recovery from the COVID-19 slump, resolved to participate with a sense of community, saying, “People come first before business. This is the path my family walks.” Nearby residents welcomed the warm Christmas atmosphere in Myeongdong, deeply appreciating the painful lesson from the Itaewon accident and the difficult decision made by the street vendors.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong said, “Thanks to the cooperation of Myeongdong street vendors in closing their stalls, tourists and citizens can welcome Christmas and the New Year in a safe and pleasant environment. Jung-gu will continue to do its best to create a safe walking environment.”

‘Seoul Companion Dog Patrol,’ which started operating in Gangdong-gu in May as the first of its kind nationwide, has now begun patrols for smoking bans.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 9th that the Companion Dog Patrol has been regularly patrolling no-smoking zones 2 to 3 times a month since November, conducting smoking cessation guidance activities along with promotional campaigns.

Due to numerous complaints about smoking in no-smoking areas such as parks and playgrounds, the district deployed the ‘Companion Dog Patrol,’ consisting of 3 teams with 6 members, to carry out enforcement and guidance activities. The patrol teams, made up of dog owners and their dogs, regularly patrol these areas together, which is expected to greatly help eradicate smoking behavior.

In addition, they regularly conduct smoking cessation promotional campaigns to actively raise awareness of the harmful effects of smoking, leading efforts to establish a smoke-free culture in the community.

The Companion Dog Patrol is a project planned by the Seoul Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committee as a new alternative for resident-participatory autonomous policing. Dog owners and their dogs walk around neighborhoods to detect and report hazards or risks as a form of private voluntary crime prevention. Currently, 51 teams are active in Gangdong-gu, and since May, there have been 112 reports with 23 cases and 332 safety reports that have been addressed and improved.