- City removes 92 banners, including banners put up by political parties, in just two days -
- Other Gun/Gu districts to start removing illegal banners in most complained about areas -
Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) and Yeonsu-gu (Governor: Lee Jae-ho) say they have finished removing banners in violation of the “Incheon Outdoor Advertising Ordinance.” The initiative, which started on July 12, has helped Yeonsu-gu remove all illegal banners across its district in just two days.
Previously, on June 8, Incheon amended its City Ordinance pertaining to banners put up by political parties. Now, political parties must post banners in designated zones only and limit the number of banners to four per electoral district. But, perhaps most importantly, banners cannot contain hate messages or content that slanders opposing parties. Thereafter, the City spent more than a full month promoting the new initiative, and on July 12, it started removing illegal banners.
<On July 12, Yeonsu-gu officials remove banners in violation of Incheon’s Outdoor Advertising Ordinance near Sogeumbat Sageori intersection.>
<On July 12, Yeonsu-gu officials remove banners in violation of Incheon’s Outdoor Advertising Ordinance near Sogeumbat Sageori intersection.>
Meanwhile, the council of Gun/Gu Governors adopted a resolution to remove all illegal banners under the amended City Ordinance, and Yeonsu-gu volunteered to be the first to comply with the new resolution.
On July 12, more than 17 officials roamed across the district and removed 84 illegal banners from 47 locations. Political parties also volunteered to remove some of their own banners that were in violation of the amended City Ordinance (33 banners). On the following day, July 13, Yeonsu-gu officials combed through the district again, removing eight banners from eight locations. In Yeonsu-gu alone, 92 banners were removed from 55 locations in just two days.
Since removing these illegal banners, Yeonsu-gu has not seen any new banners put up in violation of the City Ordinance. However, it plans to continue patrolling the district to keep Yeonsu-gu free of any illegal banners. Moreover, Yeonsu-gu says it has yet to receive any formal complaints or legal actions filed against it for removing illegal banners.
Incheon is determined to enforce its new Ordinance and support the resolution made by the Council of Gun/Gu Governors. Although it may be difficult to remove illegal banners across the City this week with heavy rain forecasted, officials will set up a plan for next week to start with districts where the City has received the most complaints about illegal banners.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “Our decision to remove illegal banners according to our new City Ordinance was met with a lot of support.” The Mayor added, “The City will work with our Gun/Gu Governors to make Incheon a safer, cleaner place to live. We would also like to ask for the support of political parties that put up most of these banners.”
