Elementary Student Dies in Village Bus Accident... 10,000 Daily Illegal Parking Reports 'Endlessly Repeated'

Illegal Parking, the Main Cause of Traffic Accidents
2.93 Million Reports from January to September This Year
Also 'Frequent' in Children's Protection Zones

Recently, in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, a tragic accident occurred where an elementary school student was hit and killed by a village bus due to illegally parked vehicles, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and countermeasures.

The accident site in Siheung-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, visited on the afternoon of the 2nd. Less than a week has passed since the accident, but several vehicles are illegally parked. Pedestrians are seen walking from the sidewalk onto the road to avoid the vehicles. Photo by Da-yeon Yeom

Since the 28th of last month, a banner stating "No Illegal Parking and Special Enforcement Notice" has been posted at the accident site. Photo by Yeom Da-yeon

On the afternoon of the 2nd, several illegally parked vehicles were still present on the road where the accident occurred. Citizens walking on the sidewalk were seen stepping onto the road to avoid the parked cars, narrowly avoiding collisions with passing vehicles. Right next to the intersection where the accident happened, a banner from Geumcheon-gu Office reading "No Illegal Parking and Special Enforcement Notice" was displayed, but drivers paid no attention to it. A Geumcheon-gu Office official stated, "The accident site is an area with fewer complaints compared to other high-complaint zones, but to prevent recurrence and raise awareness, we have put up related banners since the 28th of last month."

Complaints about illegal parking occur more than 10,000 times daily nationwide. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the total number of illegal parking reports received through the Safety Report app from January to September this year reached 2,931,815. Last year's total reports were 3,014,332, nearly doubling in the past three years.

Illegal parking is considered one of the main causes of traffic accidents. For children, who have a lower eye level, illegal parking can cause difficulties in securing visibility. Since 2021, a fine of 120,000 won?three times the amount for general roads?has been imposed for illegal parking in school zones, but it has had no effect.

Im Jae-kyung, a senior researcher at the Korea Transport Institute, said, "Overall, drivers lack awareness about illegal parking, so along with enforcement, it is necessary to clearly indicate where parking is not allowed." He added, "In Korea, there is enough space to park on the lanes, which inevitably leads to many illegal parkings. Like overseas, ensuring maximum pedestrian walkways could reduce harm."