Yangji Village is a small town in the rural province of Guangdong-gu, Seoul, with winding roads and detached houses. It is a town well-known for its “Bioenergy Farm” that caters to city dwellers who want to get some hands-on farming experiences. The town’s popularity began to soar when a TV episode on bioenergy farms called Live Seoul started to broadcast the various and exciting hands-on experience from the farm. Visitors flooded in the neighborhood with their families and friends to enjoy the farm, a rare commodity in a big metropolis like Seoul. However, an unexpected problem arose due to such popularity of the farm: illegal parking.  

Many families, especially those with little kids, like to drive their own cars to the village. However, because the road leading into Yangji Village is so narrow and is limited in parking spaces, drivers resort to illegally parking their cars on the sides of this narrow road. It is not surprising to see illegally parked cars on the edges of the one-and-only narrow road, all crammed together, leading into the village. Many of the illegally parked cars are trucks, and because the trucks are so massive, villagers experience severe traffic congestion. The chaos is bad enough on weekends, but even worse on weekdays. Needless to say, such disorder makes it extremely difficult for the local residents to traverse the village. 

The problems that arise from the illegally parked cars in the Yangji Village are many. Taegyung Yoo, a resident who has lived in Yanji Village for over five years, mentioned that the parked cars in front of the house cause residents discomfort and even accidents. “In 2018, a cyclist’s line of vision was obscured by illegally parked cars, so he almost ran into an oncoming car,” Yoo recalls. He also recounts another incident a few months ago when a resident driving a car full of his family members almost hit a pedestrian because his view was obstructed by the trucks. Yoo emphasizes that there are numerous cases as these. Ji Tae Park, another resident of Yangji Village, added to the interview, expressing severe discomfort from illegal parking. “I can’t drive through the road anymore because it became too narrow for cars to pass through from either side. I don’t understand why the municipality isn’t doing anything to solve this problem,” he says, frustrated. 

However, the problem is not without solutions. Residents can take action by reporting illegally parked cars. These cars will be either fined or towed. The municipality of Guangdong-gu recognizes the illegal parking problems and has started to take action in alleviating its problems. To establish a more convenient parking environment, the municipality took a survey on the demand for parking lots in August 2019. Such concerted efforts would be the key to solving the illegal parking problems and making Yangji Village a pleasant place for all to enjoy. 

 







Jiyoon Yoo
Freshman (Grade 9)
Shepherd International Education