The local basic government decided to impose a compulsory compliance fine for illegal outdoor advertising on the owner of a chicken restaurant who displayed a message of thanks on the store's electronic signboard in connection with the dismissal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol last year.
According to Namdong District in Incheon on the 23rd, the district sent a prior notice to the owner of a franchise chicken restaurant in its jurisdiction stating that it would impose an 800,000 won compulsory compliance fine for installing an illegal LED signboard.
Namdong District received a related civil complaint and, after checking the site, notified the owner to voluntarily rectify it, but because no action was taken, it issued a prior notice of the compulsory compliance fine. If the owner does not rectify the signboard by the 6th of next month, the fine will be imposed as scheduled.
Under Incheon's local government ordinance on outdoor advertising, such signboards are subject to strict installation standards, including being displayed only as a still image (4㎡ or less) on the wall of the first-floor entrance of a building with a total floor area of at least 5,000㎡. The restaurant's signboard was found to be in violation of these regulations.
Right after the Constitutional Court's ruling to dismiss the former president on Apr. 4 last year, the store displayed on its entrance signboard, "We dismiss the respondent Yoon Suk-yeol. Thank you, citizens."
A photo of the signboard was later shared across several online communities, drawing attention.
The store owner later also put up a message commemorating the Sewol ferry disaster on the signboard and reported to police that a customer assaulted the owner.