Kuala Lumpur's "Car Free Morning" Coming to Seoul... Oh Se-hoon: "Pilot Program to Begin"

Traffic Control on Weekend Mornings Lets Citizens Exercise
Oh Se-hoon: "Pilot Program to Begin Next Spring"
Tourism Event Draws Large Crowds; Mayor Holds Official Meetings

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced plans to introduce Kuala Lumpur's "car-free weekend mornings" policy to Seoul. Kuala Lumpur operates a "Car Free Morning" program, where downtown roads are temporarily closed on weekends so that citizens can enjoy activities such as running and cycling.

During his business trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mayor Oh met with the local Korean Study Alumni Association AGIKO on the 7th. He said, "Today, I was able to directly experience how Kuala Lumpur citizens start their Sunday mornings in a healthy way," and added, "I've already found something to bring back to Korea."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is giving a greeting at the 'Korean Study in Malaysia Alumni Association (AGIKO) Meeting' held on the 7th at the Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel. Photo by Seoul City

The Car Free Morning program controls part of the KLCC downtown area every Sunday from 7 a.m., allowing citizens to participate in various physical activities. It began as a pilot project and has continued for over 10 years. On the first and third Sundays, a 7-kilometer section is closed, while on the second and fourth Sundays, a 5-kilometer section is closed, providing a variety of routes.

Before fully implementing the project, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to gauge public response through a pilot program. Regarding this, Mayor Oh stated, "Next spring, we plan to observe citizens' reactions through a pilot project. We will set the time from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., making sure it ends before 9. To minimize the impact of public transport controls on traffic, we will keep about half of the lanes open so that vehicles can still pass." He also mentioned that the recently launched "Seoul Fitness 9988" program is being considered for outdoor pop-up events.

Mayor Oh explained, "If we introduce the Car Free Morning program on holiday mornings in Seoul, I believe even more Seoul citizens will run downtown than here. Starting next spring, I am determined to create a program that allows people to run in the city center through a pilot project."

Additionally, in the afternoon, Mayor Oh attended the "Seoul My Soul in Kuala Lumpur" event held at the large shopping mall Fahrenheit 88, where he promoted Seoul tourism. He described Seoul as "a city where art and technology are in harmony" and introduced attractions such as Naksan Park, Namsan N Tower, and Gwanghwamun Square.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is taking a commemorative photo with a K-pop cover dance team in front of a large hatch installed at the 'Seoul Tourism Promotion Event' held at Fahrenheit 88 in Kuala Lumpur on the 7th. Provided by Seoul City

The event drew a large crowd of young people in their teens and twenties from Kuala Lumpur, proving Seoul's popularity. There were many attractions, including a photo booth featuring Jennie from Blackpink, Seoul's tourism ambassador, as well as K-beauty and K-food zones. When K-Tigers performed a taekwondo dance to the K-Pop Demon Hunters OST, the audience responded enthusiastically.

Sharon, a 22-year-old university student, said, "Korean culture has a strong influence on young people throughout Malaysia in industries such as entertainment, music, and food. Through this event's booths and various performances, I was able to learn about Korea in a vivid way." Shafiq, 21, added, "For those who want to visit Korea, this event was the best. Malaysians really love Korean culture, including K-pop and Korean dramas, and see Korea as a rich and beautiful country."

On the morning of the 8th, Mayor Oh met with Mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud at Kuala Lumpur City Hall to sign a friendship city agreement (MOU). They also discussed practical measures for exchange and cooperation. Last July, through the friendship city agreement, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur agreed to expand cooperation in areas such as sustainable urban development, smart city policies, and human resource exchanges.