[Exclusive] Pedestrian Paradise vs Pedestrian Hell... A World of Difference Among Local Governments

[One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day Thousand Characters] 'Pedestrian Safety Index' by Legally Designated Basic Local Governments

Screenshot of the YouTube video [Finding Pedestrian Rights Project: I Don't Want to Die at the Crosswalk], conducted as part of the Korea Press Foundation's 2022 Local News Creator Training Program

[Asia Economy Reporter Byun Seon-jin] “I have lived here for over a year, but crossing the street is very scary.”

Mr. A, who resides in Banyeo-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, said this about the crosswalk without traffic lights in front of Sewolgyo in Banyeo-dong. Residents of Banyeo 4-dong must cross this crosswalk to get to school or work, but drivers often do not give pedestrians a chance to cross or honk even when pedestrians are in the middle of the crosswalk. Due to the nature of the intersection without traffic signals, drivers must individually judge and navigate their vehicles, causing frequent congestion in the middle of the road. This leads to such incidents occurring as drivers rush through the intersection. News creator Seong Dong-wook posted content highlighting this issue on YouTube last August. He said, “I moved here a few years ago and had to cross this crosswalk, but for over five minutes, no driver helped me cross. I reported individual drivers and filed complaints with the district office, but nothing changed,” he said.

Image of a traffic accident while walking

South Korea Ranks Among the Lowest in Pedestrian Safety Among OECD Countries

The number of pedestrian traffic accident deaths in South Korea is 2.88 per 100,000 people, more than twice the OECD average of 1.1 per 100,000. Among the 28 OECD countries with available statistics, South Korea ranks second highest in pedestrian traffic accident deaths while walking, following Chile. The government established the ‘1st National Basic Plan for Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Promotion (2022?2026)’ last August to reduce pedestrian traffic accident deaths to 44% of the 2021 level by 2026. The plan focuses on installing right-turn traffic lights and raised crosswalks at intersections and prohibiting overtaking on crosswalks to ensure pedestrian safety.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety commissioned the Korea Institute of Architecture and Space Environment in 2021 to conduct a study on ‘Development, Calculation, and Operation Plan of Pedestrian Safety Index.’ The aim was to quantitatively assess pedestrian safety across 226 basic local governments nationwide and systematically address vulnerabilities. The Pedestrian Safety Index was calculated by assigning three grades?‘R (Red: Needs Improvement)’, ‘Y (Yellow: Average)’, and ‘G (Green: Good)’?to both ‘Accident Safety,’ which reflects pedestrian death counts, and ‘Policy Effort,’ which measures the presence of pedestrian safety ordinances and the proportion of pedestrian-related budgets. The index was grouped by population size and administrative units into three categories: districts with populations above and below 300,000 (A), cities with populations above and below 300,000 (B), and counties with populations above and below 50,000 (C), ranking within each group. In a pilot survey, Haeundae-gu in Busan received an R grade for Accident Safety but a G grade for Policy Effort due to ongoing projects to improve the pedestrian environment.

Eleven Cities Known as ‘Pedestrian Paradise Cities’

So, which cities received a G grade in both Accident Safety and Policy Effort, earning the nickname ‘Pedestrian Paradise Cities’? They were a total of 11 places: Gwangjin-gu, Nowon-gu, and Yangcheon-gu in Seoul; Yongin-si and Yeoju-si in Gyeonggi Province; Daedeok-gu in Daejeon; Gyeryong-si in Chungnam; Hongcheon-gun, Yeongwol-gun, and Yanggu-gun in Gangwon Province; and Muan-gun in Jeonnam. A local government official said, “Since COVID-19, we have increased illegal parking enforcement by more than 50% in areas where pedestrian safety is critical, such as school zones and elderly protection zones.” Another official noted, “Because the proportion of residents with disabilities is higher than in other basic local governments, since 2019, we have continuously expanded the budget for accessible sidewalks, installing many around schools and stations.”

Receiving a G grade in Accident Safety means that children, elderly, and the general public are less likely to be involved in traffic accidents while walking, and that infrastructure such as crosswalks, roads, and sidewalks is well established. For example, areas designated and managed as ‘Pedestrian Priority Roads’ on side streets without sidewalks despite heavy traffic receive good scores. Policy Effort measures indicators such as the proportion of pedestrian budgets in local governments and the presence of pedestrian safety ordinances. Local governments with higher grades tend to have more crosswalk traffic lights, protected zones for vulnerable road users, and are more active in cracking down on illegal parking.

No Parking and Stopping Sign in School Zone / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Fourteen Areas Received the Lowest Pedestrian Safety Index Grades

There are also 14 places that received the lowest R grade in both Accident Safety and Policy Effort: Jin-gu and Gangseo-gu in Busan; Uijeongbu-si, Gwangju-si, and Yeoncheon-gun in Gyeonggi Province; Geochang-gun, Jinju-si, and Sacheon-si in Gyeongnam; Taebaek-si and Hwacheon-gun in Gangwon; Chilgok-gun and Seongju-gun in Gyeongbuk; Imsil-gun in Jeonbuk; and Cheongyang-gun in Chungnam. However, it is pointed out that these 14 areas should not be interpreted as necessarily dangerous for pedestrians. Oh Seong-hoon, head of the Pedestrian Environment Research Center at the Korea Institute of Architecture and Space Environment, said, “When looking at the Pedestrian Safety Index, it should be considered that some local governments may have made efforts to improve pedestrian environments but have not yet seen results, while others may have good infrastructure and driver and pedestrian awareness from the start, making it more likely to receive good grades initially.”

For example, basic local governments in Busan have room for improvement in the Pedestrian Safety Index. Last year, Busan City decided to create a ‘15-minute city’ pedestrian environment that citizens can feel. ▲ Displaying remaining time for traffic lights (red and green) ▲ Doubling the width of sidewalk curbs ▲ Installing focused pedestrian lighting ▲ Applying anti-slip pavement for 20 meters before crosswalks ▲ Painting zigzag lines on lanes are key plans. Oh explained, “Because the Pedestrian Safety Index quantitatively shows how much local governments have worked to improve pedestrian safety, the government can selectively support necessary areas.”

Government to Survey and Publish Pedestrian Safety Index Annually to Minimize Ranking Issues

According to the ‘Act on Pedestrian Safety and Convenience Promotion,’ the government will survey and publish the legally mandated Pedestrian Safety Index annually starting this year. The index allows intuitive understanding of pedestrian safety gaps between local governments, promoting competition to improve pedestrian safety. However, there is also concern about creating discord through ranking. This is why the Pedestrian Safety Index is published as grades rather than scores or rankings. Han Soo-kyung, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Architecture and Space Environment, said, “Through the annually calculated Pedestrian Safety Index, the government can monitor pedestrian safety levels of local governments, and local governments can identify specific pedestrian safety vulnerable points to efficiently allocate budgets.”