Coastal areas across Jeju are lined with coffee shops these days and while this is attracting tourists… it is also becoming the reason for disorderly parking on narrow coastal roads. Joseph Kim has more.
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Coastal road in Woljeong-ri

From here you can see Jeju’s pristine coastal scenery at a glance.

The backdrop goes well with the unique cafes that line this coastal road in Woljeong-ri(월정리), Gujwa-eup(구좌읍), Jeju City.

It’s become quite the attraction site for tourists...

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Roads congested with illegally-parked cars

… but it has also resulted in the area looking like a large disorderly parking lot.

Jaywalking is another common sight and together it leads to complete mayhem.

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Insufficient parking spaces

The average number of cars that visit the Woljeong-ri coast is 1,500 a day.

But with the lack of proper parking lots, parking on sidewalks has been the norm for a while now.

Temporary no parking signs were installed a year ago, after complaints were filed about illegally parked cars on bicycle lanes, but cyclers say nothing has changed.

[INTERVIEW]
Cho Yong-cheol / Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
When I’m cycling, I can’t really see the cars coming up behind me because of the cars parked on the side. It seems very dangerous, especially for a beginner like myself.
<인터뷰 : 조용철/서울 광진구>
"자전거를 타다 보면 뒤쪽으로 차가 오니까 좀 위험한데, 옆쪽에도
차량이 있어서 뒤가 안보이니까
제가 자전거 초보자이기도 해서
위험한 게 느껴졌어요."

No parking signs are of no use as drivers continue to park their cars right in front of them, crowding the already narrow roads. Administrative officials have only now started to take the issue into account.

[INTERVIEW]
Lee Yong-su / Provincial traffic division
We’ve asked the Korea Asset Management Corporation to buy the land. It will be evaluated by a committee, and by September or October, we will be able to talk to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance directly about dealing with the issue.
<전화인터뷰 : 이용수/제주시 교통행정담당>
"추진하고 있습니다. 자산관리공단에 매입요청 한 상태고, 또 심의위원회에 부지매입심의 의뢰도 한 상태고,
이제 9월이나 10월 중에 기재부로 직접 올라가서 이걸 얘기할 겁니다.

[CAMERA]
Moon Ho-sung

[REPORTER]
Joseph Kim

With no clear-cut solution to the parking problem as of yet… it seems illegally parked cars will continue to overcrowd coastal roads, tarnishing their image as the place to go to see the best of Jeju’s coastlines.

Joseph Kim KCTV