Mapo-gu to Transform Hongdae Red Road Tourist Zone into a 'Clean Area'

Starting June 1, Hongdae Red Road Tourism Zone to Undergo 24-Hour Special Management... Expected to Improve External Image
Comprehensive Management Including Household Waste Collection, Coffee Grounds and Illegal Advertisement Removal, Illegal Parking Reporting
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, "An Important Step for Sustainable Development"

“Seeing piles of trash scattered all over the streets, various illegal advertisements, and cigarette butts piled up like heavy snow naturally makes me frown,” said student A from Hongik University while looking at the Hongdae club district.

In response to this situation, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Park Gang-su) announced that it will promote the ‘Hongdae Red Road (Culture and Arts) Special Tourism District Special Management Service’ to tackle the serious environmental issues in the Hongdae tourism district, drawing attention.

The upcoming service, starting from June 1, will target the Hongdae Red Road (Culture and Arts) tourism district spread across Seogyo-dong, Donggyo-dong, and Hapjeong-dong in Mapo-gu.

Aiming for a “clean and pleasant Hongdae tourism district 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” this service goes beyond simple collection and transportation of household waste, food waste, and recyclables to include ▲cleaning of main roads and alleys in Hongdae ▲cleaning of street trash bins ▲management of cigarette butt collection boxes ▲public restroom maintenance ▲and green area cleaning.

First, the district office plans to fundamentally resolve the problem of waste accumulation by reflecting the reality that the principle of collecting household waste once after sunset does not fit the commercial nature of Hongdae, by collecting waste three times after sunset, three times during the day, and as needed.

Additionally, the service will include 20 recycling bins and over 110 cigarette butt collection boxes previously installed by the district to reduce incinerable waste and illegal dumping in the Hongdae tourism district, with 24-hour dedicated management to improve the street environment.

The cigarette butt collection boxes installed earlier in Hongdae reflect Mayor Park Gang-su’s idea, featuring targets drawn on them to naturally encourage smokers to dispose of cigarette butts in the boxes rather than littering.

In particular, to build a clean external image of Hongdae and create a safe walking environment, the district will assign dedicated personnel for street environment maintenance and management. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day, 20 sanitation workers during the day and 10 at night will be deployed on Hongdae’s main roads and alleys to maintain a pleasant and clean street environment.

A district cleaning administration official said, “Through this special management service for the Hongdae Red Road tourism district, we will be able to provide visitors with a more pleasant and safe experience. Coffee grounds collection is also included in this service, which will significantly contribute to reducing incinerable waste given the many coffee shops in Hongdae.”

The district also included in the scope of this service ▲reporting illegal parking ▲reporting and removing illegal advertisements ▲animal carcass disposal, to comprehensively manage the Hongdae Red Road (Culture and Arts) tourism district.

This initiative by the district stems from the intention to not only keep the Hongdae area clean but also to further enhance its value as a cultural and artistic hub.

Upon hearing about the district’s special management service, stakeholders in the Hongdae commercial area expressed expectations, saying, “The environmental improvement of the Hongdae area and the increase in visitors due to the creation of a clean environment will have a positive impact on the local commercial sector.”

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, “The dedicated management service for the Hongdae tourism district will be an important stepping stone for the sustainable development of the Hongdae area beyond simple environmental improvement. Through this service, we will do our best to help Hongdae take a leap forward as a new center of culture and arts and establish itself as a beloved destination for domestic and international tourists.”