Illegal parking tops Seoul residents' grievances as city, anti-corruption body launch joint probe

Illegal parking has emerged as the top source of everyday frustration among Seoul residents, prompting the Seoul Metropolitan Government to team up with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission to address the problem.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Citizens' Audit Ombudsman Committee announced Sunday that it would launch a joint investigation with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission aimed at resolving illegal parking and sidewalk obstruction issues, directly incorporating residents' input.

The two agencies conducted a survey from June 11 to June 20 through the commission's public policy participation platform, "Gungmin Saenggakham," to select the focus of their joint investigation into Seoul's urban problems this year. A total of 971 respondents each chose two priorities from seven candidate issues. Improving illegal parking reporting and enforcement standards ranked first as the most urgent concern, cited in 23.7 percent of responses.

Of the approximately 2.19 million on-site complaints filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government last year, about 1.6 million — the vast majority — were related to traffic and illegal parking.

Following illegal parking, the next most urgent issues identified were improving the jeonse deposit protection system for rental housing (20.9 percent), addressing safety blind spots such as routes home at night (15.2 percent), improving the handling of sidewalk obstructions such as goods placed outside shops (13.4 percent), and improving traffic controls for downtown events such as marathons (11.5 percent).

Open-ended responses on illegal parking called most frequently for higher towing fees and fines for repeat or deliberate violations, and stronger enforcement near fire hydrants and in school zones. Respondents also called for simplified reporting procedures and clearer enforcement standards, as well as expanded public parking lots and resident-priority parking.

On jeonse deposit protection, the most common demands were expanding enrollment in deposit guarantee insurance and easing premium burdens, providing counseling and relief for victims, and subsidizing guarantee fees for vulnerable groups such as youth and newlyweds.

On safety blind spots in alleyways and similar areas, many respondents called for more CCTV cameras, streetlights and emergency bells, along with stronger patrols. On sidewalk obstructions, suggestions included stricter enforcement and heavier fines and penalty points for goods and signboards placed outside shops, clearer minimum pedestrian clearance standards, revised guidelines for handling obstructions, and standardized display dimensions.

Based on the survey results, the Ombudsman Committee and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission selected "resolving illegal parking and sidewalk obstruction" as the focus of their joint investigation. Starting this month, the agencies plan to conduct on-site inspections in areas with high complaint volumes, gather broad input from relevant agencies and residents, and develop measures to improve the walking environment so residents can move about safely.

Ombudsman Committee Chair Jo Deok-hyeon said the investigation was significant because it represented central and local government working together to resolve everyday inconveniences that residents themselves had identified as priorities. "Through this investigation, we will work to improve highly visible problems such as illegal parking and pedestrian obstructions, and contribute to creating a safer walking environment," he said.