Smoking at Han River Swimming Pools Sparks Public Outcry

▲ Smokers at the Ttukseom Hangang Park swimming pool

On the afternoon of July 2, the outdoor swimming pool at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, was crowded with people enjoying a swim, including families with children, despite it being a weekday.

However, some visitors were seen stepping out of the pool to smoke on the grass or near the container-style portable restrooms, drawing frowns from others.

Because these areas are located just over 1 meter away from the pool, children and other citizens swimming nearby were directly exposed to cigarette smoke and odors.

Although signs stating "Smoking is prohibited inside the swimming pool" are posted at the entrance, few smokers seemed to pay them any mind.

Critics point out that the health and safety of children are being threatened by those smoking within the Han River park swimming pool.

Eun (46), who visits the Ttukseom Hangang Park swimming pool every weekend, said, "There are so many more people smoking this year that the atmosphere has become such that you cannot even stop them. It is uncomfortable because my elementary school-aged daughter is swimming right next to where they are smoking, and the cigarette butts scattered on the ground are also an eyesore."

Currently, the Han River parks themselves are not designated as non-smoking zones, so there is no way to crack down on smoking or impose fines within the park.

While the Seoul Metropolitan Government has enacted an ordinance on the creation of a smoke-free environment and the prevention of secondhand smoke to protect citizens from harmful environments, Han River parks were not included as non-smoking areas.

Although the Han River Project Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Government has installed smoking booths in major areas of Han River parks, such as Yeouido, Ttukseom, and Banpo, they are located far from the pools, leading Ttukseom pool users to smoke on the grass near the water.

When Han River patrol officers discover smokers inside the pool area, they advise them to stop, but there is no legal means to forcibly stop them.

Smokers cite the fact that, unlike at the Yeouido swimming pool, re-entry is not permitted at the Ttukseom pool once a visitor leaves, which is why they smoke in corners or blind spots inside the facility.

Since the operators for the three Han River swimming pools—Yeouido, Nanji, and Yanghwa—are different from the operator in charge of the other three—Ttukseom, Jamsil, and Gwangnaru—policies regarding smoking and re-entry vary.

Jeong (17), who used the pool that day, expressed frustration, saying, "I came here to swim, but it is unpleasant because people are smoking nearby. I wish they would allow re-entry so that people who want to smoke could go outside to do so."

Regarding these complaints, an official from the Ttukseom swimming pool mentioned the limitations of current regulations.

The official from the Ttukseom Hangang Park swimming pool stated, "We do not allow re-entry because residential facilities, such as apartment complexes, are adjacent to the area, raising concerns that users might go home. For now, there is no other way than to guide users to refrain from smoking."

Critics suggest that if immediate re-entry is difficult due to the proximity of residential areas, realistic alternatives should be considered, such as installing mobile smoking booths on the outskirts of the pool area to ensure children are not exposed to cigarette smoke.

As public inconvenience persists, there are calls for a change in management methods.

Jang Jae-min, head of the Korea Institute for Urban Policy, said, "Since Han River swimming pools are seasonal facilities, mobile smoking booths that are easy to dismantle, reinstall, and manage flexibly would be efficient. If the flow is designed so that smokers do not have to travel far, it could reduce the act of smoking secretly inside the pool area."

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that it plans to instruct the Ttukseom pool operator to strengthen enforcement.

A city official said, "We plan to review all possible measures to prevent smoking near the swimming pool, such as allowing re-entry or installing more banners related to the non-smoking policy."

(Photo: Provided by reader, Yonhap News)

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