Can you imagine a roadway filled with laughter from citizens instead of a stuffy traffic jam? Where performances play instead of horns?

The ‘Seoul’s car free street’ started in 2013 with the purpose of returning roads that were considered car-only to their original owners. This initiative of the Seoul Metropolitan Government contributed to the spread of pedestrian culture in Seoul, an originally walking city.

For example, Deoksugung-gil Car-Free Street, one of the 143 car-free streets in Seoul, became an essential walking route and lunch spot for workers in the area. From 11 to 14:00 on weekdays and from 12 to 17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays the street was closed to cars to give more space to pedestrians.

The new ‘On-Tact Car-Free Street’, introduced in June 2021, functions as an offline event held on the car-free street of Deoksugung Palace and an online event.

The offline car-free street has four main attractions:
– Small musical performances
– A photo booth
– Calligraphy and caricature stalls
– A flea market with flowers, eco-friendly products, and recycled products.

On the online car-free street, events such as stamp tours, car-free street trips to every corner, and photo, drawing, and vlogging competitions for citizens are scheduled.

In the words of the transport department, the aim of the car-free street is to create a ‘pedestrian’s paradise’ for citizens by creating a special shelter in the busy city center.

Photos by: @car_free_seoul, mediahub.seoul