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City expands pedestrian zone in Myeong-dong shopping area

Seoul’s bustling shopping district in Myeongdong will be entirely closed to traffic starting next year as part of the metropolitan government’s efforts to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, officials said yesterday.

The city government is looking to extend the pedestrian-only zone to cover the entire area of Myeongdong’s shopping district, as well as other crowded districts such as Guro industrial complex in the southwest and Dongdaemun.

Under the new measure, vehicles will be banned on the roads from Euljiro Ipgu Station to Myeongdong Station, according to the government. Currently, the main streets of Myeongdong are designated as pedestrian-first zones.

The government will finalize negotiations on issues including how and when the measure will take effect and whether the ban will cover motorcycles before enforcing the new rule by next year.

The city also plans to put forward measures encouraging the use of bicycles by creating cycling lanes, sightseeing courses and allowing bicycles to be carried on subways.

Yonhap