Gyeonggi-do Expands 'Outdoor Advertising Pre-Approval System' to 31 Cities and Counties

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province is expanding the Outdoor Advertising Pre-Approval System.

The Outdoor Advertising Pre-Approval System is a measure to prevent the mass production of illegal advertisements by guiding the outdoor advertising department and the installation and removal of signs when obtaining business permits or closing a business.

According to Gyeonggi Province, business owners must obtain approval or report to the city or county outdoor advertising department when installing outdoor advertisements such as signs, just as they receive business permits from the city or county. However, due to a lack of awareness about advertisement approval and reporting, illegal advertisements that violate the display methods stipulated in the Outdoor Advertising Act are being installed without approval or reporting.

In response, Gyeonggi Province has decided to expand the Outdoor Advertising Pre-Approval System, which was individually implemented in some cities and counties, to all 31 cities and counties. On the 18th of last month, the “Ordinance on the Management of Outdoor Advertisements and the Promotion of the Outdoor Advertising Industry in Gyeonggi Province,” which includes the legal basis for this, was enacted.

Currently, the Outdoor Advertising Pre-Approval System, which requires passing through the outdoor advertising department when obtaining a business permit, is in operation in 13 cities and counties including Suwon. Additionally, guidance on the removal of advertisements upon business closure reports is implemented in 15 cities and counties including Pyeongtaek.

Those who display or install advertisements without approval will be subject to penalties under the Outdoor Advertising Act, including imprisonment for up to one year or fines up to 10 million KRW, as well as administrative sanctions such as enforcement fines up to 5 million KRW or penalties.

Park Jong-geun, Director of the Architecture and Design Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "When installing outdoor advertisements during business permit issuance, we will provide prior guidance on the display methods, quantity, and approval/reporting procedures of advertisements. Also, when reporting business closure, we will provide prior guidance on the removal of outdoor advertisements to ensure that no signs are left abandoned after closure. We will work systematically with cities and counties to manage this."