▲ Runners participate in a marathon in Gwanghwamun.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will form a downtown marathon management consultative body with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other relevant organizations to actively oversee marathon events starting next year.
Citizens have increasingly voiced discomfort as consecutive large-scale marathons held in downtown Seoul have led to prolonged traffic congestion, restricted mobility, noise, and littering issues.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, marathon events sponsored by the central government surged from just 1 last year to 23 this year, resulting in large-scale traffic controls taking place more than 30 times this year.
In addition, during a downtown marathon held last weekend, major roads across Seoul—ranging from Gwanghwamun to Olympic Park and from Sangam to Yeouido—were blocked, while 190 city bus routes were forced to detour, sparking a surge in public complaints.
In the National Assembly, an amendment to the National Sports Promotion Act was passed and is scheduled to take effect in April of next year.
Under the revised act, organizers of sports events with 1,000 or more participants must notify the head of the local government of their safety management plans in advance, and local government heads can request revisions.
In response, the city has decided to form a consultative body with related organizations, including the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to review safety management plans such as schedules, courses, and traffic detours for downtown marathons next year.
Cho Sung-ho, head of the Tourism and Sports Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "While we agree that marathons contribute significantly to promoting citizens' health, recent downtown marathons causing inconvenience to citizens have become a social issue." He added, "We plan to establish a consultative body to enforce thorough management, and we ask for the voluntary efforts and cooperation of event organizers."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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