Seoul's Yongsan-gu held a large-scale storm drain cleanup and environmental restoration drive in the Namyeong-dong area on Monday to protect residents from flooding during the monsoon season.
The event was organized to prevent flood damage caused by clogged drains and to improve pedestrian safety and the overall urban environment.
About 100 people took part, including staff and residents from the Namyeong-dong community center, members of the Namyeong-dong merchants' association, volunteers from the Yongsan-gu Volunteer Center, and employees of Ipark Hyundai Development and KleanNara.
Starting at 8:30 a.m., participants fanned out across Namyeong-dong — covering areas around subway stations, commercial districts and hard-to-clean zones — to clear storm drains and drainage channels. They removed sediment, fallen leaves, sand, cigarette butts and other debris blocking water flow to ensure smooth drainage during heavy downpours.
Alongside this, participants took part in "plogging" — a cleanup activity that combines walking or jogging with picking up litter — collecting discarded everyday waste from streets throughout the neighborhood to help create a cleaner pedestrian environment.
Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Gyeong-dae said frequent sudden downpours make it essential to keep storm drains and drainage facilities in good condition at all times. "We will do our utmost in preventing and responding to flood and storm damage so that residents can have a safe summer," he said.
Yongsan-gu has been operating a 24-hour flood and storm disaster safety command center since May 15. Thirteen working teams are maintaining an emergency response system in line with a six-tier alert protocol to prepare for summer natural disasters including heavy rain and typhoons.
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