Illegal Dumping of Trash and Waste Results in Over 9,400 Fines Monthly
Despite Seoul City investing hundreds of millions of won in installing CCTV to prevent illegal dumping of garbage, citizens' inconveniences caused by trash and waste are increasing day by day. Experts advise that alongside government or local government-level alternatives, citizens' self-purification awareness is now necessary.
According to Seoul City on the 29th, from January this year to last month, the number of fines imposed for garbage and waste violations in Seoul was 85,492 cases, averaging about 9,400 cases per month. The number of reports of illegal dumping of garbage and waste in Seoul also increased annually, with 10,702 cases in 2022, 16,323 cases in 2023, and 18,259 cases up to October 2024.
Seoul City spent 290 million won over the past five years to install 107 'illegal dumping CCTV' cameras, but it has not shown significant effects. Including the CCTV cameras installed independently by each autonomous district, the effectiveness is even lower.
Around 9 a.m. on the 28th, garbage bags were piled up under an electric pole in Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Although a CCTV and a sign reading "No Illegal Dumping" are installed next to the pole, trash is being dumped there every day. [Photo by Shim Seong-a]
In fact, illegal dumping of garbage could be easily found in various places throughout Seoul. Under a utility pole in a residential area of Dangsan-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, various types of garbage bags were carelessly discarded, causing frowns among passing citizens. It was difficult to find volume-based waste bags, and plastics, cans, and other items that should have been separated for recycling were scattered unsightly.
Resident Jeong (56) said, "There is always garbage piled up at the utility pole in front of the store, so I thought it was originally a place to dispose of garbage," and added, "When passing by, the smell and the insects are very uncomfortable."
Office worker Lee (28) also said, "It seems like the CCTV has been there for a long time, but garbage is always piled up," and questioned, "I wonder if they are really enforcing the regulations."
Although local governments in Seoul are cracking down on illegal dumping, there are considerable difficulties occurring on the ground. Kim, a sanitation worker in Jongno-gu, Seoul (42), said, "We have to open garbage bags, check mail or delivery papers, and track down the offenders, which is very difficult." He added, "People who have been caught multiple times separate mail or delivery papers and only dump the remaining garbage, making it almost impossible to catch them."
Sanitation worker Lee (30), met in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, also said, "To crack down on illegal dumping, we have to review CCTV footage and bring evidence to the person involved," and added, "Usually, they deny dumping the garbage themselves, and even when shown evidence, they respond arrogantly, saying 'everyone else does it too,' making the enforcement process difficult."
Experts point out that active efforts by local governments and citizens' participation are urgently needed rather than uniform policies from the central government. Professor Yoon Soon-jin of Seoul National University's Graduate School of Environmental Studies advised, "Beyond the current surveillance-only system, conditions should be created for citizens to voluntarily form organizations or participate together in illegal dumping prevention activities."
Park Jeong-eum, head of the Resource Circulation Team at the Seoul Environmental Federation, also emphasized, "Practical situations such as areas without spaces to dispose of garbage or where garbage collection vehicles cannot enter must be considered," and added, "Local governments should first inspect these situations and manage illegal dumping accordingly."
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