First Guidelines in the Nation Established to Improve Urban Landscape
Year-Round Joint Inspection Teams Lead to 82% Decrease in Illegal Postings
Gwangju City has launched an initiative to eradicate illegal banners in order to improve the urban landscape. The banner maintenance guidelines, introduced for the first time in the country, are attracting attention as an innovative solution that simultaneously enhances both city aesthetics and citizen safety.
According to a citizen survey conducted last year, an overwhelming majority of 83% reported inconvenience caused by illegal banners. In response, Gwangju City developed a proactive response strategy and has been operating joint inspection teams with the city and autonomous districts throughout the year to block guerrilla-style banner postings.
As a remarkable result, the number of illegal banner maintenance cases decreased by approximately 82%, from 836,182 cases in 2023 to 150,635 cases in 2024. In particular, the 'Guidelines for Handling Rally Banners', established through close cooperation with the National Police Agency and autonomous districts, have significantly reduced indiscriminate banner postings.
The core of this innovation is the introduction of 'Pedestrian Safety Banner Stands'. Installed in areas with frequent jaywalking, these stands offer a creative solution by preventing traffic accidents while simultaneously supporting advertising for small business owners.
Thanks to these efforts, the city was honored with the Prime Minister's Commendation in the '2024 Outdoor Advertising Excellence Awards' hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and was selected as an exemplary case in the joint government evaluation.
Innovation has also been applied to the management of political party banners. By directly visiting parties to provide installation guidelines and encouraging autonomous districts to impose fines, the city has achieved a delicate balance between freedom of political expression and urban order.
On July 27, Jeong Seungcheol, head of the Architectural Landscape Division, said, "We will continue to improve effective systems and build public consensus to maintain illegal advertisements, striving together with citizens to create a beautiful and safe city."
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