Myeongdong shops turn trash disposal into unexpected act of hospitality for tourists
Summary
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization launched the Clean Myeongdong campaign in Seoul to help tourists dispose of food packaging and empty drink cups. A total of 346 street stalls are participating, accepting waste from visitors even when the drinks were bought elsewhere. Multilingual signs and tourist information centers explain the service, while an online promotional video reached more than 2.85 million views within one day. Seoul plans to assess vendor participation and visitor feedback before considering expansion to other tourist districts and traditional markets.
Key Facts
- The campaign followed visitor complaints about difficulty finding trash bins after buying food and drinks from street stalls.
- Seoul Namdaemun Police Station requested the initiative, and local vendors joined voluntarily.
- Signs in English, Japanese and Chinese were distributed to all 346 participating stalls.
- Campaign information is available at six tourist information centers and 15 tourist information booths operated by the Seoul Tourism Organization.
- The city partnered with influencer HelpYun, and a video posted through Visit Seoul’s official channels surpassed 2.85 million views within one day of its release in early November.
A sign informs visitors about the Clean Myeongdong campaign at participating street stalls in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Tourists wandering through Myeongdong can now enjoy street food and drinks without worrying about where to throw away their trash, thanks to an unusual initiative that turns local vendors into volunteer waste collectors.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization have launched a promotional campaign encouraging visitors to hand empty drink cups and food packaging to participating street vendors, who will dispose of the waste on their behalf.
A total of 346 street stalls in Myeongdong are taking part in the Clean Myeongdong campaign, which aims to improve tourist convenience while keeping one of Seoul's busiest shopping districts clean.
The initiative grew out of complaints from visitors who struggled to find trash bins after buying food and beverages from street stalls. It was developed following a request from Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, with local vendors voluntarily joining the effort.
To help international visitors identify participating businesses, organizers have distributed multilingual signs to all 346 stalls. The signs prominently display messages in English, Japanese and Chinese about the trash disposal service.
Information about the campaign is also available at six tourist information centers and 15 tourist information booths operated by the Seoul Tourism Organization.
Online promotion has helped bring the initiative to an even wider audience. The city partnered with HelpYun, an influencer known for short videos helping international travelers navigate everyday situations.
A promotional video posted through Visit Seoul's official channels demonstrates how visitors can return empty plastic cups to participating vendors, regardless of where they purchased the drinks.
The video surpassed 2.85 million views within one day of its release on social media in early November.
“We will work with local communities to spread this effort, which began in Myeongdong, across Seoul and make the city a place where tourists can travel comfortably and want to visit again,” Cho Seong-ho, head of the city's Tourism and Sports Bureau, said.
Seoul plans to monitor vendor participation and visitor feedback before expanding the campaign to other popular tourist districts and traditional markets.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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