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'Honorary roads' draw fire for confusing residents, harming local reputations

Published: 08 Nov. 2025, 11:46

A signage reads Pope Francis Street in Daejeon [DAEJEON CITY OFFICE]

There are 324, and growing, quirky-sounding “honorary roads” across Korea, named after celebrities or distinctive features of the area. Some have successfully boosted local identity and tourism, but critics say the trend is becoming excessive, diluting the original essence of naming a street and confusing residents.

An honorary road is a street section named after an individual or organization in recognition of contributions to the community or the public good. It is separate from the official road name used in addresses. Local governments collect resident feedback and submit requests to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which reviews and approves the designations. Each designation is re-evaluated every five years.

As of Nov. 3, there were 324 honorary roads across the country, according to the ministry. New designations have steadily increased — 14 in 2022, 20 in 2023, and 65 in 2024. So far this year, 45 have already been approved, and the total is expected to reach a similar level as last year once pending cases are finalized.

A leading success story is Garosu Street in southern Seoul’s Gangnam District. First introduced as an honorary road in 2008, it became more famous than its original name and was officially adopted as a legal road name in 2020. Other well-known cases include Film Street in Busan and Ryu Hyun-jin Street in Incheon, both of which have become popular tourist attractions. In smaller towns, honorary roads named after trot singers — such as Song Ga-in street in Jindo County, South Jeolla, and “Jeong Dong-won Street and Kim Da-hyun Street in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang — have briefly drawn fans and boosted tourism.

Jeong Dong-won Street, named after the namesake trot singer, in Hadong County, South Gyeongsang [HADONG COUNTY OFFICE]

But the proliferation of such roads has also caused confusion. Some have similar or ambiguous names, making it hard for residents and visitors to distinguish them. For instance, there are three Pope Francis Roads — in Dangjin, Daejeon, and Sejong — and an additional Pope Francis Pilgrimage Trail in Seosan, South Chungcheong. However, the Sejong and Seosan designations will expire soon. Variations of Coast Guard Road also appear in multiple regions. Inspired by the popularity of Gyeongridan Street in Itaewon, imitators such as Nuridan Street and Ongridan Street have also emerged. A ministry official noted, “There are regulations against similar legal road names, but no such rule applies to honorary roads.”

Some honorary roads have sparked controversy. In Yesan County, South Chungcheong, Paik Jong-won Street was created to honor celebrity restaurateur Paik Jong-won, who collaborated with the county on local festivals. But after Paik faced allegations of violating food sanitation laws, the county decided to hold this year’s festival independently. In 2013, Park Yoo-chun Cherry Blossom Road in Incheon’s Gyeyang District was removed after the singer’s drug scandal.

“Designating honorary roads to promote local identity can be positive, but naming them after celebrities who later become controversial undermines a region’s character and sense of place," Kim Jin-yu, a professor of urban transportation engineering at Kyonggi University, said. “Roads are ultimately about movement and safety. If honorary road signs are placed alongside official address signs, they could confuse drivers and foreign visitors, so careful management is necessary.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY LEE AH-MI [[email protected]]