The cigarette smoke will disappear from the square in front of Seoul Station, which is served by KTX and regular trains, as well as subway lines 1 and 4 of the metropolitan area and the airport railroad. Passengers who wish to smoke must go to designated smoking areas.
The Jung-gu district has announced on the 18th that starting on June 1, it will designate the area around Seoul Station Square and surrounding roads as a no-smoking zone, imposing a fine of 100,000 won for those caught smoking.
An average of 300,000 people visit Seoul Station each day. Previously, there were no restrictions on smoking, leading to discomfort for citizens due to passive smoking and smokers disposing of cigarette butts carelessly.
Since April of last year, the Jung-gu district has conducted a survey on the status of passive smoking in the area around Seoul Station Square. A survey of 703 citizens using the square in February revealed that 84.9% of respondents supported the designation of a no-smoking area. Among non-smokers, 92.9% were in favor, while 43.5% of smokers supported it. 69.3% of respondents agreed to the no-smoking zone designation to protect health from the harms of passive smoking.
Subsequently, Jung-gu designated Seoul Station Square as a no-smoking area in consultation with the neighboring Yongsan district and Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail). Of this, Jung-gu's jurisdiction covers 43,000 square meters around Seoul Station Square and the station, and an additional 13,800 square meters around the Seoul Station integrated bus transfer center, totaling 56,800 square meters. Smoking booths managed by Korail are excluded from the no-smoking area.
On the 12th, Jung-gu issued an administrative notice designating Seoul Station Square as a no-smoking area. Until May, it will carry out promotional activities with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yongsan district, and Korail, and from June, joint crackdowns will be conducted with Yongsan district and Namdaemun Police Station.