Seongdong-gu Adds 4 Smart Smoking Booths with Enhanced Openness

Expanding 'Smart Smoking Booth Season 2' with Enhanced Openness and Convenient Movement Paths: Increasing to 14 Locations by Adding 4 in October... Recognized as a Smart Technology Case Resolving Conflicts Between Smokers and Non-Smokers with Features Like Negative Pressure Systems, Air Purification, and Smart Ashtrays Enabling Cigarette Butt Recycling... Survey at Wangsimni Station Exit 6, Used by 3,200 People Daily, Shows 86.2% (671 of 778) Satisfaction Among Smokers and Non-Smokers

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) announced that it will expand the operation to a total of 14 Seongdong-type smart smoking booths by installing 4 additional booths by the second half of this year.

The Seongdong-type smart smoking booths are recognized as a representative win-win policy that introduces smart technology into administration to resolve conflicts between non-smokers suffering from secondhand smoke and non-smokers inconvenienced by the lack of smoking areas.

The smart smoking booths maintain negative pressure so that the airflow moves inward, preventing cigarette smoke from escaping outside the booth. Additionally, through air purification facilities, the internal air continuously circulates, removing cigarette smoke and harmful substances. The circulated air passing through purification filters minimizes the smell clinging to smokers' clothes inside the booth. The interior walls of the booth are specially coated to prevent nicotine or tar from sticking.

Inside, a smart ashtray equipped with automatic extinguishing and crushing functions for cigarette butts is installed. The accumulated ash and butts are detoxified and then processed into thermoplastic wood, allowing them to be recycled into eco-friendly wood products.

Seongdong-gu first installed smart smoking booths nationwide among local governments in November 2022, followed by one booth in 2023 and eight more in the first half of this year, currently operating a total of 10 smart smoking booths.

Currently, the number of users of the smart smoking booths reaches an average of 1,200 to 1,600 people on weekdays, with Exit 6 of Wangsimni Station, a high-traffic area, seeing a daily average of 3,000 to 3,200 users.

As a result of prioritizing areas with frequent smoking complaints for the installation of smart smoking booths, illegal disposal of cigarette butts caused by indiscriminate smoking has been eradicated, leading to a cleaner surrounding environment, and complaints related to secondhand smoke have sharply decreased.

According to a survey conducted in April, out of a total of 778 respondents, including 303 smokers and 475 non-smokers, 671 people, or 86.2%, expressed satisfaction with the smart smoking booths.

The satisfaction rate among non-smokers reached 94.5%, citing the absence of street smoking, no discarded cigarette butts, a clean environment, and above all, not having to inhale cigarette smoke as reasons for high satisfaction.

Among smokers, 74% were satisfied, mentioning that they do not have to worry about external gazes while smoking, the booths are cleaner compared to other smoking areas, and their clothes do not retain the smell.

The district will not stop there and will introduce ‘Smart Smoking Booth Season 2,’ reflecting users’ improvement requests. Designed to enhance openness and consider movement flow upon entry, four newly improved smart smoking booths will be installed in October to increase user convenience.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “We expect to provide greater satisfaction and convenience to both smokers and non-smokers through the improvement and expanded operation of smart smoking booth facilities,” adding, “We will continue to integrate smart technology into administration to resolve resident conflicts and realize a smart inclusive city that embraces everyone.”