Seoul to curb downtown marathons after road closures disrupt 190 bus routes
Seoul plans to tighten oversight of downtown marathons through a joint consultative body with police and other government agencies, responding to mounting complaints about road closures, traffic congestion, noise and litter. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it will work with city police authorities to review race schedules, routes, traffic diversions and safety management plans…
Seoul is set to implement stricter regulations on downtown marathons in a bid to address growing concerns over disruptions caused by road closures, traffic congestion, noise, and litter. The city plans to establish a joint consultative body comprising police and government agencies to oversee marathon events in 2027. Officials said arrangements for this will be detailed in December.
Marathon organizers have been instructed to refrain from recruiting participants until safety plans and traffic restrictions are finalized. The authorities emphasized that while they acknowledge the positive impact marathons have on residents' health, the recent issues have become a significant source of frustration for others. Cho Sung-ho, director general of the Seoul tourism and sports bureau, urged event organizers to collaborate with the city to resolve the ongoing problems.
The most recent incident occurred on Sunday, when marathons led to extensive road closures between Gwanghwamun and Olympic Park.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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