Kick scooters a headache in Gangnam's Daechi-dong
Afternoon riding ban takes effect Sept. 30
Fines of 30,000 to 60,000 won for violations
Electric scooters have become a persistent nuisance on Seoul's streets, and nowhere more so than in Gangnam-gu, which by far leads the city in the number of personal mobility devices towed for illegal parking. The hagwon-dense streets around Daechi-dong have earned a reputation as a lawless zone for scooters. Seoul Metropolitan Government has now designated three new "scooter-free" zones — the hagwon district in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu; the pedestrian walkway at Wirye Transit Mall in Songpa-gu; and Rodeo Street in Yeonsinnae, Eunpyeong-gu — with the ban taking effect Sept. 30.
The morning after the policy was announced, scooters and rental electric bicycles were still scattered haphazardly across the Daechi-dong hagwon district. At around 9 a.m. Friday, rental electric bicycles left over from the previous day lay strewn in front of at least one hagwon entrance. Many students in the area ride personal mobility devices to and from their hagwon.
"No kick-scooter zone" signs were posted near Dogok Elementary School and throughout the hagwon district, yet abandoned electric bicycles could be spotted even beside the signs. Some devices were parked squarely across sidewalks, forcing pedestrians onto the road to get by.
A delivery driver surnamed Jeong, who was unloading packages in the hagwon district that morning, said the scooters parked along the roadside regularly make it difficult to stop his vehicle. "There have been more than a few times I couldn't park because of all the scooters," he said. "Sometimes I have to move them out of the way, or park farther from the building than I'd like."
A 41-year-old homemaker surnamed Seo, who was out with a stroller, said she visits the area often because of the many food and beverage stores nearby, but that scooters sometimes zip past her stroller at speed. "That's why I try to avoid coming here during the hours when students are heading to their hagwon," she said.
There were no students in the area during the Friday morning visit, but when a reporter visited the same location in July during school vacation, dangerous scenes were common. Riders wearing helmets were a rare sight. One rider was spotted darting out of an alley with just four seconds left on a pedestrian crossing signal and weaving through pedestrians to cross the street.
Students interviewed at the time said they ride scooters when running late for hagwon and do not bother carrying a helmet. "I've never been caught riding without one," one student said.
Personal mobility device accidents have been gradually declining but still number around 2,000 a year. According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority's traffic accident analysis system, accidents involving scooters and other personal mobility devices totaled 2,386 in 2022, 2,389 in 2023, 2,232 in 2024 and 1,915 in 2025. Dozens of fatal accidents occur every year.
Beyond riding accidents, illegally parked scooters are an equally serious problem. Gangnam-gu accounts by far for the most personal mobility device towing cases in Seoul. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the district recorded 13,117 towing cases last year — nearly double the 6,829 logged in second-place Songpa-gu. Authorities have yet to find an effective way to prevent illegal parking in the first place and have largely been limited to after-the-fact enforcement.
Because of the persistent problems, electric scooters are set to be effectively expelled from the Daechi-dong hagwon district. Personal mobility devices will be banned from the area between noon and 11 p.m. Riders caught violating the ban on regular roads face a fine of 30,000 won ($22) and 15 demerit points; violations in school zones carry a 60,000 won fine and 30 demerit points.
A Gangnam-gu district office official said the district plans to install traffic safety signs and related facilities to enforce the scooter-free zone. "The local police precinct will also patrol the restricted road sections and issue warnings to violators," the official said.
20ki@heraldcorp.com
