The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 19th that it will inspect the installation of illegal banners for three weeks from January 20 to February 7 and will clean up banners that violate regulations.
This inspection is conducted to prevent the proliferation of illegal banners as it is expected that the installation of political and general banners, combined with holiday greetings, will increase before and after the Seollal holiday.
The government will focus on verifying compliance with the number of political banners installed under the Outdoor Advertising Act, the methods of display and installation, and whether reports are made before installing general banners.
First, political banners can be installed freely without reporting up to two per town or village for 15 days under the Outdoor Advertising Act. However, installation is prohibited in children's protection zones and around fire-fighting facilities, and at intersections or crosswalks where there is a risk of obstructing the view of pedestrians or vehicle drivers, the bottom part of the banner must be installed at a height of 2.5 meters or more.
General banners, excluding political banners, must be installed only at designated posting facilities after reporting to the relevant local government. Each local government plans to form a joint inspection team, consisting of responsible public officials and representatives from the Outdoor Advertising Association, to prioritize the cleanup of advertisements posing safety risks.
The government will request voluntary removal or relocation of banners if violations are confirmed, and if the request is not complied with, the local government will remove them.
Deputy Minister Kim Min-jae said, “We will actively promote on-site inspections and cleanup together with local governments to minimize inconvenience to the public caused by banners.”