A motorcycle for food delivery is parked outside a restaurant in Seoul on Feb. 21, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Lee Dong-hyuk, a 26-year-old former delivery worker, quit his job after breaking his arm in a car accident last year.
He realized that motorcycles can be very dangerous.
After timely consideration, Lee began to monitor and take photographs of motorcycles breaking traffic rules during the one or two-hour span when delivery demand peaks in Seoul’s Gangdong District, and report them to the police.
“I began my reporting business because I didn’t want anyone to get hurt like me, and I was hoping that delivery workers would make an effort to drive safely,” he said.
Lee is member of an online chatroom of 210 people dedicated to ensuring traffic safety by reporting illegal driving by motorcycles.
They monitor and report traffic violations by motorcycles in Seoul, Incheon and Busan and share hotspots for traffic accidents.
A 30-year-old man surnamed Kim, who has been in the reporting business for seven years, is an experienced traffic monitor reporting more than 30 traffic violations every day in Seoul’s Yongsan District.
Kim broke his left leg in a motorcycle accident when he was crossing the street as a high-school student.
A 15-year-old middle school student Heo Hun is also dedicated to looking out for motorcycles breaking traffic regulations near a local academy that attends.
Heo and his parents almost ran into a motorcycle after it ignored the traffic lights.
“Failing to wear a helmet is punished by a maximum fine of 30,000 won (US$22.86),” Heo said. “We need to impose larger fines to ensure traffic safety.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
