"Not Even for One Minute"... Haenam County Launches Zero-Tolerance Crackdown on Illegal Parking and Stopping

Up to 120,000 Won Fine for Stopping in School Zones

Haenam County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Myung Hyun-gwan) has launched an intensive campaign to promote awareness and enforce regulations regarding the "six major illegal parking and stopping prohibition zones" in order to ensure pedestrian safety and secure passage for emergency vehicles.

On July 15, the county announced, "To establish traffic order and protect the lives of residents, we are conducting a large-scale campaign to raise awareness about the six major illegal parking and stopping zones, which are seeing an increase in citizen reports and public interest disclosures."

Haenam County Office building exterior.

The enforcement targets include the following areas: sidewalks, crosswalks, within 5 meters of an intersection corner, within 10 meters of a bus stop, within 5 meters of a fire hydrant, and children protection zones (school zones). All of these areas are considered high-risk for accidents and have a significant risk of damage spreading in the event of an emergency. Because these zones can cause loss of the golden time during emergencies or pose a serious threat to pedestrian safety, a fine may be imposed even for stopping for just one minute.

The fines for illegal parking and stopping are 40,000 won in general areas, 80,000 won near fire hydrants, and up to 120,000 won in children protection zones. Drivers are urged to exercise particular caution, as fines may be imposed without exception even for a stop as brief as one minute.

Recently, reports through public interest disclosures have been increasing in the downtown area of Haenam-eup, and this has led to a rise in disputes among neighbors. The county currently operates a "Parking and Stopping Enforcement Notification Service," which notifies drivers of enforcement actions via text message as a preventive measure. However, if a resident report is submitted through the "Safety Sinmungo App," a fine is imposed immediately without any prior warning.

The reporting process is simple. Residents can upload two photos taken from the same location and angle at one-minute intervals to the Safety Sinmungo App.

A county official emphasized, "Illegal parking and stopping threaten everyone's safety," and added, "We will continue to raise safety awareness among residents through ongoing publicity and guidance."