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Korea Post moves to transform mailboxes amid dwindling use

Published: 16 Dec. 2024, 18:50

Red Post Box [KOREA POST]

Red post boxes, which have only delivered paper letters for the past 40 years, will now handle small packages and collect used coffee capsules and waste medicine, according to Korea Post.

The national postal service announced Monday that it will install some 90 new multi-purpose mailboxes at 22 locations in Seoul including in Jongno and Gangnam Districts by the end of this year.

With the upcoming installments, users can send small parcels measuring up to 27 centimeters (10.6 inches) in length,18 centimeters in width and 15 centimeters in height. To do so, users must receive a delivery code or registration code by scanning a QR code attached to a post box or by pre-registering on Korea Post's mobile application or website. Users should then write the code on their packages for delivery.

The upgraded mailboxes will also feature a dedicated compartment labeled “ECO” for collecting medicine wastes and coffee capsules. Medicine should be placed in a regular envelope or a plastic bag to be disposed of. Before disposal, users must write "waste medicine" on the outside of the bag. To dispose of coffee capsules, users must clean the coffee grounds out and place them inside a designated bag.

In post-war Korea, mailboxes were originally green. However, since 1984, the red rectangular mailboxes have been used nationwide.

The new mailboxes to be installed will be made of steel sheets instead of original fiber-reinforced plastics, which are difficult to recycle.

The latest upgrade comes as the original function of post boxes has become deserted following the widespread use of digital communication methods, such as e-mails and KakaoTalk, a messaging app used widely in Korea.

According to the Korea Post, one of its major concerns regarding the new mailboxes is enlarged mail slots being used to discard trash.

Under current laws, contaminating mail within mailboxes with trash like cigarette butts and beverages can result in up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30 million won ($20,880). Disposing of small trash, such as toilet paper, is also punishable.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]