Complaints on narrow sidewalks have been frequently reported in Jeju.
Some local roads do not have sidewalks for pedestrians, or if they do, they are substandard and very dangerous.
Joseph Kim reports.

[slug] Yeonbuk-ro, Jeju City

This is an intersection in (연북로) Yeonbuk-ro, Jeju City.
The sidewalk is narrow and safety fences or bollards are not installed.

[slug] Pedestrian and vehicles too close on narrow sidewalk

The width of the sidewalk is too narrow. If a pedestrian stretches out his or her arm, it could hit a passing car .
Pedestrians have to hug the wall.



[slug] Hamdeok-ri, Jocheon-eup, Jeju City

Another sidewalk in Jeju has the same story.

[slug] Sidewalks are not priority for newly built residential areas

Residential areas have been built for years. But the construction of sidewalks doesn't look to be as one of the developers' priorities.
Some newly built sidewalks are not safe.

[slug] Substandard sidewalks in newly built residential areas

The width of the sidewalk is only 60 centimeters near the wide road for vehicles.
Only a single pedestrian can walk along comfortably.


The Road Act revised in 2018 requires all sidewalks to be at least 1.5 meters in width if there are no street trees.



Sidewalk Specification
(Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport)

Recommended width of sidewalk is 2m+ (Min. 1.5m)



[slug] 60 cm-wide sidewalk doesn't even meet previous relaxed standard

The 60 centimeter-wide sidewalk doesn't even meet the previous standard of 1.2 meters that was used before the Road Act was revised.
Pedestrians should always be mindful of a possible collision with a vehicle.


[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Kim Seung-cheol
[CG] Park Hye-jin

Buildings rise quickly along the roads, but sidewalks are not constructed properly.
The safety of residents is severely threatened.

Joseph Kim, KCTV