Emergency patients and wedding guests stranded in city marathon... The police are also keen

As marathon events continue to take place in downtown Seoul, the police are paying close attention to reduce damage to citizens visiting large hospitals or weddings on the weekend.

According to Yonhap News coverage on the 8th, Gwangjin Police Station in Seoul is checking the on-site response plan to ensure that there are no problems with transporting emergency patients to Konkuk University Hospital during the MBN Marathon event, which will be held from 7:30 a.m. on the 15th.

This is to prevent ambulances and emergency patients from being unable to be transported on time due to roads being closed and participants' queues continuing due to the marathon.

An official at the Gwangjin Police Station said, "In consultation with the organizers, we will arrange for police officers from the Konkuk University Alumni Center to break the marathon line and go directly to the hospital when emergency vehicles are moving."

The MBN Marathon Half Course starts from Gwanghwamun, passes through Eulji-ro, Janghanpyeong, and Konkuk University Station intersection in order and continues to the east gate of Jamsil Sports Complex.

Accordingly, the road from Cheongdam Bridge to Konkuk University Hospital will be closed.

The intersection of Konkuk University Station, where Konkuk University Hospital is located, is on the road to Jamsil Bridge leading to Jamsil, Songpa-gu, so it is often closed due to marathon events.

In the JTBC marathon event on the 1st, the entrance to Konkuk University Hospital was included in the course.

The police explained that no cases have been confirmed so far where emergency patients were not transported to Konkuk University Hospital due to the marathon event, but the possibility cannot be ruled out as traffic in nearby areas is heavily restricted.

In fact, there are cases where patients or their guardians who visited major hospitals in Seoul have difficulty entering the hospital due to traffic restrictions or change treatment times.

Mr. Lee (33), who goes to a large hospital in Yeouido for a checkup once a month, said, "It is difficult to make time on weekdays due to work, so I tend to make an appointment on the morning of the weekend. If I go later than the reservation time, there is a lot of waiting, so if there is a marathon or rally, I change the reservation time or leave an hour more than usual."

According to the Seoul Transportation Information Center (TOPIS) on the 7th, due to the 'Save Race Marathon' held in the Yeouido area from 8 a.m. on this day, roads were closed and buses were detoured, causing congestion on nearby roads.

There are frequent cases of disruption to one-time wedding ceremonies due to traffic jams or bus detours due to marathons.

Mr. Seo (32), who got married at a wedding hall in Jamsil on the day of the JTBC Marathon event in November 2023, said, “I get angry when I see the marathon event held around this time every year,” and added, “Most of the guests who were traveling for the first time were unable to attend the wedding as the navigation system incorrectly indicated the route restricted to the marathon.”

He said, “It is especially heartbreaking that my grandmother, who is physically challenged, was unable to see her first grandchild’s wedding,” and added, “I am also advising my friends not to hold a wedding on the day of the marathon.”

Recently, a post on social media claiming that a traditional wedding held at Wolmi Park was ruined due to noise from the 'Disney Run' event held in Incheon on the 24th of last month became a hot topic.

Garbage left on the streets after an event is also frowned upon.

As citizen inconveniences increased, the city of Seoul decided to review the safety management plan, including the schedule, course, and traffic detours, for next year's urban marathon event with related organizations such as the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.