Seoul City to increase car-free days

A monthly car-free day on the main street in Sejongno, central Seoul will be expanded to twice a month starting September, as part of efforts to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, a city official said on Tuesday.

The Sejongno main road ― spanning 550 meters from the intersection in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace to the four-way intersection of Gwanghwamun Subway Station ― has been cleared for pedestrians every third Sunday of each month since March.

The city is planning to try out a pedestrian-zone day every week in November and decide whether to change it to a weekly event by next year.

While the regular flea market will be held every third Sunday as usual, street performances and citizen participation events will be scheduled on the other Sunday until a pedestrian-friendly culture takes root, the official said.

More than 90 percent of 1,280 respondents showed satisfaction with Sejongno’s car-free street, according to a public survey conducted in June by the city government.

(rene@heraldcorp.com)