Lawmaker Jeon Hyun-hee pushes for safer school routes near Dongma Middle School in Seongdong-gu

School routes around Dongma Middle School in Seoul's Seongdong-gu have been overhauled with student pedestrian safety as the central focus. Improvements include enhanced intersection visibility, expanded enforcement infrastructure targeting illegal parking and stopping, and freshly repainted crosswalks and road markings — all aimed at making the daily commute safer for students.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jeon Hyun-hee, who represents the Jung and Seongdong-gap constituency, announced Wednesday that the two-phase comprehensive school-route improvement project near Dongma Middle School — carried out together with the constituency committee — was completed Tuesday.

The project is notable for translating safety concerns raised by parents directly into concrete improvements through on-site inspections and coordination with relevant agencies. It also extended its scope beyond the intersection in front of the school's main gate to cover the key commuting stretch connecting Wangsimni Station to the school, addressing pedestrian conditions along the entire route.

The effort began in July with a meeting between parents and school officials. Based on the hazards and improvement requests raised at that session, two joint on-site inspections were conducted in September involving civic groups, government officials and police. Jeon, along with Seoul Metropolitan Council members and Seongdong-gu council members affiliated with the Democratic Party, worked with the Seongdong Police Station and Seongdong-gu to develop a phased improvement plan.

The first phase, completed Sept. 30, focused on reinforcing traffic safety infrastructure at the intersection in front of the school's main gate. The road surface at the intersection was paved in dark red to alert drivers, and illegal parking and stopping enforcement cameras were installed to address vehicles that had been blocking students' sightlines.

New no-parking regulatory signs and road markings were also put in place. Slow-down signs and "School Zone — Drive Slowly" markings were painted on the road to help drivers recognize the area as a school zone and reduce their speed.

The second phase, completed Tuesday, concentrated on improving safety along the main approach roads near the school. Along Majoro 19-gil, which connects to Exit 13 of Wangsimni Station, new "School Zone — Drive Slowly" markings, stop lines and intersection indicators were added, and five crosswalks were repainted.

Road markings indicating speed limits and directions of travel were also updated to give drivers clearer traffic guidance. The work aimed at reducing hazards along both student pedestrian paths and vehicle travel lanes.

The project also addressed the broader urban environment around the school routes. Anti-posting panels were installed on 51 public fixtures — including streetlights and utility poles — to prevent illegal flyer posting and improve the appearance of streets near the school. The dual focus on traffic safety and everyday living conditions reflects the project's goal of making school routes both safer and more pleasant.

The project has also drawn attention as an example of residents' everyday concerns being channeled into on-site inspections and follow-up action by administrative bodies. A National Assembly member, local council members, police and local government divided responsibilities and cooperated to address inconveniences felt by residents in their daily lives.

"It is meaningful that all the issues raised while walking the routes with parents have been resolved through the two phases of improvements," Jeon said. "I am grateful to the parents, school officials, Seongdong Police Station and Seongdong-gu for their participation."

Jeon added that the Dongma Middle School project would serve as a model of civic-government-police cooperation, with plans to extend similar improvements to school routes at other schools across Seongdong-gu. "I will make sure children can go to and from school with peace of mind," Jeon said.