Seoul to Reduce Marathon-Related Inconvenience for Residents... Forms Oversight Body with Police

Urges organizers to refrain from recruiting participants early for city-center marathons
Restrictions on residents' mobility and noise spark controversy
Strict oversight through a consultative body with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on November 4 that it will form a consultative body with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and step up oversight to reduce inconvenience to residents caused by urban marathon events.

As large-scale marathons have been held one after another in central Seoul recently, prolonged traffic congestion and restrictions on movement, compounded by noise and litter, have caused growing inconvenience to residents. In particular, there have been cases in which organizers recruited participants before traffic-control arrangements were finalized, then canceled or changed events shortly before they were due to take place, causing losses for participants.

Early this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government established “Marathon Guidelines” to improve urban marathons. Measures such as moving up start times and setting participant caps for each location reduced the number of sponsored events by more than half, from 15 last year to 7 this year.

However, marathon events are not subject to permits or approval by local governments. Since many events are held with sponsorship from central government agencies, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s efforts to make improvements have been limited.

A revision to the National Sports Promotion Act recently passed the National Assembly. Starting in April 2027, organizers of sporting events with 1,000 or more participants will be required to submit safety management plans to the heads of local governments in advance, who may request revisions to those plans.

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to form a consultative body with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other relevant organizations to step up oversight. It will first review safety management plans for the 2027 urban marathons, including their schedules, routes, and traffic detours. Details will be announced in a Seoul Metropolitan Government notice in December. The city has urged organizers preparing urban marathons for next year to refrain from recruiting participants until safety management plans are in place and traffic-control arrangements have been finalized.

Cho Seongho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, “We recognize that marathons contribute greatly to promoting public health, but the inconvenience they cause residents has become a problem. We will form a consultative body with the police and other relevant organizations and pursue thorough oversight.”

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