"This Is Getting Out of Hand": Surge in Marathons Triggers Flood of Complaints

[Anchor]

Amid the recent running boom, marathon events in downtown Seoul have surged. While their purpose may be commendable, recurring street closures across the city are causing growing inconvenience for residents. Amid criticism that government ministries have indiscriminately granted sponsorships for such races, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has ultimately stepped in with extraordinary measures.

Ha Jeong-yeon reports exclusively.

[Reporter]

Today (October 5), during the National Foundation Day extended holiday, three separate marathon events were held in areas across Seoul, including Yeouido, Mapo, and Gangnam.

Because of a marathon involving more than 10,000 participants, traffic in this area has been continuously restricted.

We went out to hear directly from citizens.

[Ko Young-seo / Seoul Resident: Buses are being diverted, but senior citizens often don't know about the detours. (Because of the road closures,) half a city block was completely taken over as changing rooms for marathon runners.]

[Lee Mi-so / Seoul Resident: It was most stressful when I couldn't move around freely. (I think it would be fine) to reduce the frequency a bit.]

Last year, 95 marathons were held after applying for venue use with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, a more than fivefold surge compared to 2022. The number of events requiring police traffic control also rose from 7 to 28.

More than 1,000 complaints have been filed with the Seoul city government, citing concerns such as "Marathon runners aren't the only ones with the right to enjoy their time" and "Some people have to work on weekends."

The number of police officers deployed for downtown Seoul marathons also jumped sharply, from 306 in 2021 to 2,712 last year.

Police provide traffic control support only for marathons that carry official sponsorship titles from central government ministries or local governments. According to data obtained by SBS, 11 out of the 14 downtown Seoul marathons held in the first half of this year received sponsorship from central ministries, prompting criticism that sponsored marathons are being overused.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it aims to discourage races in the city center. It has also been confirmed that the city sent official letters to several central government ministries, asking them to consider restricting sponsorships, citing recent controversies surrounding marathons backed by ministry titles.

Concerned that the excessive deployment of police officers could create a vacuum in public safety, the police have also submitted opinions to the National Assembly stating that a legal framework is needed.

[Jeong Jun-ho / Member of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (Democratic Party): People are saying that public inconvenience has reached a breaking point due to traffic controls repeated every weekend.]

Some also point out that South Korea should look into overseas cases where event organizers are required to pay for police overtime costs under the "polluter pays principle" for traffic control.

Reported by Ju Yong-jin | Video by Choi Hye-ran | Design by Kang Yoon-jung and Lee Ga-jin
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.