Seoul Metropolitan Government rolls out comprehensive waste management plan for chuseok holiday

City and 25 district offices to operate 26 sanitation control centers

Backlogged waste to be cleared in full-scale collection drive starting Monday

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is implementing a comprehensive sanitation plan to ensure residents can enjoy a clean and comfortable chuseok holiday without waste piling up on the streets. The photo shows a large-scale cleanup conducted in Donghwa-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, around the Lunar New Year holiday in February. [Jung-gu Office]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is implementing a comprehensive sanitation plan to ensure residents can enjoy a clean and comfortable chuseok holiday without waste piling up on the streets. The photo shows a large-scale cleanup conducted in Donghwa-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, around the Lunar New Year holiday in February. [Jung-gu Office]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is rolling out a comprehensive sanitation plan to keep the city clean and comfortable for residents during the chuseok holiday.

According to the city, 26 sanitation control centers will operate across Seoul and its 25 district offices for four days through Sunday, the last day of the holiday period. The city plans to deploy 10,803 sanitation workers — employed directly by or contracted through the district offices — along with a cumulative 547 personnel in mobile sanitation patrol units to handle waste-related complaints promptly.

The mobile patrol units will focus daily on high-risk areas to prevent waste from accumulating along major downtown streets and sidewalks and causing inconvenience to residents.

During the holiday, waste collection schedules will vary by district due to closures at Seoul's resource recovery facilities and days off for district sanitation workers. Residents are advised to check their district office's website for the specific days waste can be put out, as collection days differ not only by district but in some cases by individual neighborhood within a district.

Starting Monday, when the holiday ends, each district will mobilize all available sanitation personnel and equipment for a full-scale drive to clear the backlog of waste that accumulated over the break. Depending on local conditions, some districts also plan to carry out post-chuseok cleanup efforts together with residents.

"Even though the chuseok holiday is short, we will do our utmost to ensure residents can enjoy a pleasant holiday with their families in a clean and comfortable urban environment," said Yoon Jae-sam, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Climate and Environment Bureau.


ken@heraldcorp.com