"Because trying to stop them might cause fights"... Only merchants suffer over smokers in traditional markets

Merchants Frustrated with Smokers
Need for Effective Countermeasures

"We are extremely worried that a fire might start from cigarette butts. If we tell them not to smoke, it leads to fights, so we just have to watch."

Every year, fires caused by cigarette butts repeatedly occur in traditional markets, but setting up no-smoking zones is practically meaningless. There are calls for local governments to establish effective measures such as active crackdowns.

On the afternoon of the 24th, a man is smoking a cigarette at Yeongdeungpo Jungang Market in Seoul.
[Photo by Shim Seong-ah]

On the afternoon of the 24th, Ahn Young-joo (63), a merchant at Gyeongdong Market in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, lamented, "The elderly seem to smoke just because they think of the old markets." Kim, a merchant at Gwangjang Market in Jongno-gu, Seoul, said, "I see people smoking in the market every day," and lamented, "Fire prevention is only possible if everyone works together, but cooperation is poor." In fact, most smokers were smoking carelessly even though they were aware of the no-smoking zones.

According to the Fire Agency, over the past 10 years, the causes of fires in traditional markets were mostly due to negligence such as cigarette butts and food cooking, accounting for 29.5%, second only to electrical causes. Banners and signs indicating no-smoking zones were hung throughout the markets. According to current law, a fine of up to 100,000 won is imposed for smoking in no-smoking zones, and lighting cigarettes within these zones is also subject to enforcement. However, there are many practical difficulties in enforcement and guidance. A health center official in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, said, "To impose fines, we need to identify personal information, but elderly people often do not admit to smoking, making enforcement difficult."

Professor Gong Ha-seong of the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Woosuk University advised, "If it is difficult to enforce against smokers, various methods such as a citizen reporting system can be utilized," and added, "We need to promote awareness of the dangers of cigarette butts and the property damage they cause so that perceptions can change."