'Roads jammed every weekend': Kian84 criticizes marathon surge as JTBC race set to snarl Seoul traffic Sunday

Roads across Seoul — from Gwanghwamun to Olympic Park and from Sangam to Yeouido — will be closed to traffic Sunday morning for a marathon race, with 190 city bus routes rerouted and some sections shut down as early as 4 a.m.

The 2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, with runners gathering from 6:30 a.m. About 35,000 people are expected to take part, including roughly 30,000 runners and about 5,000 event staff. The full-course race (42.195 kilometers) starts at Gwanghwamun Square and finishes at Olympic Park, while the 10-kilometer course runs from Sangam World Cup Park to Yeouido Park.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the area around the Gwanghwamun starting point on Sejong-daero will be closed from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. for event operations and traffic management. The downtown Jongno and Cheonggyecheon stretch will be controlled from 7:46 a.m. to 10:29 a.m., and sections through Sinseol-dong, Gunja Bridge, Jamsil Bridge and Olympic Park will be closed sequentially from 7:54 a.m. to 1:35 p.m.

The main 10-kilometer course route will be controlled from 7:20 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. A total of 1,825 traffic officers and other personnel will be deployed, and 1,770 signs and banners will be installed.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's official guidance, the full-course route will be under comprehensive traffic control from 7:20 a.m. to 1:54 p.m. The Gwanghwamun starting area will be closed from 7:20 a.m. to 8:18 a.m., and the Olympic Park finish area from 9:10 a.m. to 1:54 p.m.

The full-course route passes through Sungnyemun intersection, City Hall and Euljiro, the entrance to Jongno-gu Office, Sinseol-dong, Gunja Station, Konkuk University Station, Jayang intersection, Seokchon Lake, Hakyeoul Station and Suseo IC, in that order.

The 10-kilometer course will see closures in front of Sangam World Cup Stadium from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and at the Yeouido Park finish from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., with the route passing through Hapjeong Station, Yanghwa Bridge and Nodeulro.

Bus passengers should also expect disruptions. According to Seoul's Transport Operation and Information Service and Seongdong-gu's official guidance, 190 city bus routes operated by 61 companies will run on temporary detours. The main management period runs from 7:22 a.m. to 1:38 p.m.

Some community bus routes — including Seongdong 03-1, Seongdong 08, Songpa 01 and Songpa 03 — will also be rerouted, and some stops may be skipped entirely. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is advising drivers to use alternate routes and encouraging commuters to take the subway.

Ahead of the race, the rapid increase in downtown Seoul marathons and the traffic disruptions they cause has drawn growing public attention.

Webtoon artist and broadcaster Kian84 said on his YouTube channel "Life 84" on Oct. 19 that "the roads are insanely congested on weekends," pointing to the string of marathon events held in Seoul.

Kian84 said people "might start having a negative view of running because of it." Actor Kwon Hwa-woon, who appeared alongside Kian84, said, "What if we just held the major ones and focused on those?"

Kian84 has run full-course marathons and logs about 150 kilometers a month, making running a central part of daily life. The remarks were widely interpreted not as a criticism of running itself, but as a concern about the excessive frequency of events and the inconvenience caused to residents.

The number of marathon events granted approval by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to use city venues for start and finish lines has grown from 53 in 2024 to 94 last year and 117 this year.

Among those, events involving large-scale road closures rose from 16 to 31 to 37 over the same period. The number of marathon-related complaints filed with the city last year exceeded 1,000.

In January, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued guidelines requiring marathons with traffic controls to begin no later than 7:30 a.m. The Seoul Metropolitan Council has also seen a bill introduced that would minimize traffic controls during peak business hours in major commercial districts and require residents and merchants to be notified at least 14 days before an event.

Safety concerns for participants have also emerged amid the marathon boom.

Actor Jin Tae-hyeon disclosed on social media last Sunday that the Gyeongju International Marathon had been abandoned midway due to a health issue, writing: "Don't run if you're sick. That's not courage."

Balancing the safety of runners on city streets with reducing disruption to residents has emerged as a central challenge for marathon event organizers.