▲ Participants start a marathon race.
Large-scale rallies, marathons, and other crowded events are scheduled to take place across downtown Seoul this weekend, November 7 and 8, marking the first weekend of November.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) plans to hold a preliminary rally near the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office in Jung-gu starting at 1 p.m. tomorrow (November 7).
The KCTU will march through Eulji-ro and Jahamun-ro to Daehanmun, holding its main rally for about an hour from Sungnyemun Intersection to Taepyeong Intersection.
Heavy traffic congestion is expected in downtown areas as participants are scheduled to march from 4 p.m. via Sejong-daero and Sajik-ro to Singyo Intersection, and then return to the labor office via Jong-ro and Namdaemun-ro.
In the Yeouido area, the Save Race Marathon, sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be held starting at 8 a.m. on the same day.
The course starts at Yeouido Park, crosses Sogang Bridge, and turns around at Gwangheungchang Station Intersection. Traffic on the north and south ends of Sogang Bridge will be controlled from 7:50 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
Starting at 2 p.m., the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) will hold a rally in the Yeouidaero area.
On Sunday, November 8, the Freedom Democracy Marathon, sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will kick off at 7:30 a.m., according to the police.
The course starts at Seoul Plaza, passes through Heunginjimun and Eulji-ro, and returns. Traffic between Sejong-daero Intersection and Heunginjimun Intersection will be fully controlled from 7 a.m. to 8:35 a.m.
The police plan to minimize public inconvenience by maintaining public transportation services, such as metropolitan wide-area buses, and operating reversible lanes in each area.
A total of 186 traffic police officers will be deployed to manage traffic in the rally and event zones.
An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency advised, "Traffic congestion is expected in downtown and Yeouido areas. Please use the subway as much as possible, and check traffic information in advance if you must use a vehicle."
As large-scale marathons have been held consecutively in downtown Seoul this autumn, citizens' complaints have erupted over long-term traffic jams and travel restrictions, compounded by noise and litter issues.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, marathons sponsored by the central government surged from 1 last year to 23 this year, with large-scale traffic controls exceeding 30 times this year.
In particular, during the marathon held last weekend, major roads in Seoul—ranging from Gwanghwamun to Olympic Park, and from Sangam to Yeouido—were blocked, forcing 190 city bus routes to detour.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to form a "Downtown Marathon Management Consultative Body" with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other entities to actively regulate marathon events starting next year.
(Photo provided by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Yonhap News)
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