"Japan Should Spend Tax Money on This Too"... Why Korea's Streets Are Inspiring Envy

Mention of Pedestrian Crossing Sunshades and Heated Seats
On Social Media: "Japan Should Also Spend Taxes on Things Like This"

Citizens are gathered under the shade tent waiting for the signal to cross the pedestrian crossing at Gwanghwamun Station intersection in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Convenience facilities found throughout Korea are attracting attention among Japanese tourists. Examples of Korean-style public services include shade tents at crosswalks, so-called “longevity chairs,” and heated seats at bus stops.

On May 27, a post written in Japanese featuring a photo of a shade tent in Jung-gu, Seoul, garnered attention on social media. The author wrote, "It was a great help when I was in Korea," and added, "Japan should use tax money for things like this too."

The shade tent that became the talk of the town is called the "Seoripul Wondumak." In 2015, Seocho District became the first in the country to install these large, fixed shade structures at crosswalks. With a height of 3.5 meters and a maximum width of 5 meters, this parasol-shaped structure can shelter around 20 adults from the sun at once. The idea originated from the need to address the problem of pedestrians waiting for the signal being directly exposed to the scorching sun.

The types and features of these facilities are becoming more diverse depending on the local government. For example, Buk-gu district in Busan has installed cooling fog-type shade tents that spray a fine mist, while Cheonan City has installed customized shade tents near schools and senior centers. Recently, smart shade tents that automatically open and close by detecting temperature and wind speed have also been introduced.

In addition, the author mentioned heated seats at bus stops during winter and longevity chairs designed for seniors.

The heated seat was first proposed by a private company in 2008, with the Seoul Metropolitan Government launching a pilot program the following year. The surface temperature of the seat is about 32 degrees Celsius, and the electricity cost is around 100 won per hour. The installation rate of heated seats at Seoul’s bus stops jumped from 51.9% in 2022 to 81.4% in 2023, a 29.5 percentage point increase in just one year. The installation is expanding not only along roadsides but also at median bus stops.

Folding chair installed at the intersection. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The “longevity chair” in front of crosswalks is also considered a uniquely Korean idea. In 2019, Seokjong Yoo, then head of the Byeollae Police Substation at Namyangju Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, started the initiative after receiving feedback that many elderly people suffered accidents because their legs hurt while waiting for the signal and they tried to cross prematurely. The chair is usually folded up against the crosswalk pole and can be pulled down to sit on while waiting.

Recently, the introduction of “smart shelters” has also been expanding. These large-scale bus stops are equipped with air conditioning and heating, air purifiers, CCTV, emergency bells, real-time bus arrival information screens, and even wireless charging stations. The production cost is about 100 million won for a medium-sized shelter and about 65 million won for a small one, which is not insignificant, but user satisfaction is reportedly high. Smart shelters were also selected as an example of public sector innovation by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.