[What Do You Think?] Non-Smoking Areas Continue to Expand, Now Including Seoul Station Plaza

A 100,000 Won Fine for Smoking... Enforcement Officers Intensively Deployed
Smokers Still Evade Enforcement
300,000 Non-Smoking Zones in Seoul, But Only 124 Officers

"You need to smoke inside the designated smoking area."

On the 2nd, a smoking cessation counselor is guiding a citizen smoking outside the smoking booth set up at Seoul Station Plaza to smoke inside the booth. Photo by Park Seungwook

At 10:30 a.m. on the 2nd, in front of Seoul Station Plaza, a citizen who had just exited the subway took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. A smoking cessation counselor, wearing a sash that read "Zero Secondhand Smoke," guided him to smoke inside the smoking booth. Three smoking cessation counselors and four guides in yellow vests were patrolling the Seoul Station area to crack down on street smoking.

Starting this month, Seoul Station Plaza and approximately 43,000 square meters around the station, as well as 13,800 square meters around the Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center, have been designated as non-smoking areas. Seoul Station is a major transportation hub for the city, serving subway, KTX, and more, with countless people passing through. According to data compiled by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the average number of daily passengers boarding and alighting at Seoul Station subway was 178,180 in 2023, but as of April this year, it has surged to 228,031.

If someone is caught smoking in a non-smoking area, they can be fined up to 100,000 won under the National Health Promotion Act. Previously, there were no specific smoking regulations at Seoul Station, and only those who littered cigarette butts could be fined up to 100,000 won under the Misdemeanor Punishment Act. However, starting this month, smoking outside the designated smoking areas around Seoul Station is also subject to enforcement.

On the 2nd, a smoker was smoking near Exit 2 of Seoul Station. Photo by Seungwook Park

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as of the end of last year, there were 301,063 non-smoking areas in Seoul, an increase of more than 13,000 compared to 287,239 in 2020. It is no exaggeration to say that most plazas and major roadsides are now non-smoking areas.

While there are many non-smoking areas, there are only 124 enforcement officers, meaning each person is responsible for monitoring 2,428 locations. Therefore, rather than relying solely on enforcement, the true purpose of designating non-smoking areas is best achieved when citizens voluntarily refrain from smoking in these zones. However, during the reporter's visit to Seoul Station Plaza, there were still quite a few people smoking on the streets, avoiding the eyes of enforcement officers.

As non-smoking areas continue to expand, the number of smoking cessation counselors employed by Seoul and local governments is also increasing. In Jung-gu, Seoul, there were originally six enforcement officers, but this month and next month, 20 people, including local government officials, will be monitoring street smoking around Seoul Station. An Jeongok (age 57), a smoking cessation counselor met in front of Seoul Station, said, "In just over 10 minutes of enforcement, I have already informed more than 50 people that smoking is not allowed outside the designated areas," adding, "Even if there is a smoking booth right in front of the plaza, we will strictly crack down on citizens who smoke at the entrance or outside the booth."

Non-smokers welcome the expansion of non-smoking areas and the strengthening of enforcement. Park (age 38) said, "Every time I pass by Seoul Station, I feel uncomfortable because people smoke outside the booths or on the streets, even though there are smoking booths. It seems to be getting a little better." He also added, "I hope the enforcement of non-smoking areas will continue to be strong and consistent in the future."

An official from Jung-gu District Office said, "We will closely monitor whether the non-smoking area designation around Seoul Station is effective and will establish future plans for enforcement personnel and methods accordingly."