Myeong-dong shops turn trash disposal into unexpected act of hospitality for tourists

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization launched the Clean Myeong-dong campaign in Myeong-dong to let tourists hand empty cups and food packaging to participating street vendors for disposal. The effort followed visitor complaints about difficulty finding trash bins, and local vendors joined voluntarily after a request from Seoul Namdaemun Police Station. Organizers are monitoring vendor participation and visitor feedback before considering expansion to other tourist districts and traditional markets.

A total of 346 street stalls are participating in the campaign.

All participating stalls received signs explaining the service in English, Japanese and Chinese.

Campaign information is available at six tourist information centers and 15 tourist information booths operated by the Seoul Tourism Organization.

A promotional video made with influencer HelpYun and posted through Visit Seoul’s official channels showed visitors returning empty plastic cups to participating vendors, even if the drinks were bought elsewhere.

The video received more than 2.85 million views within one day of its release on social media in early November.

Published Nov 5, 2026 11:38 am KST

Updated Nov 5, 2026 5:57 pm KST

A sign informs visitors about the Clean Myeong-dong campaign at participating street stalls in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

Tourists wandering through Myeong-dong 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 Myeong-dong are taking part in the Clean Myeong-dong 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.

首尔市政府和首尔旅游局在明洞发起“清洁明洞”活动，鼓励游客将空杯子和食品包装交给参与活动的街头摊贩进行处理。此前，游客反映垃圾桶难找，此次活动是在首尔南大门警察署发出邀请后，当地摊贩自愿加入的。组织方正在密切关注摊贩的参与情况和游客的反馈，之后才会考虑将活动推广到其他旅游区和传统市场。

共有346个街头摊位参与了此次活动。

所有参与活动的摊位都收到了用英语、日语和中文解释服务的标牌。

活动信息可在首尔旅游发展局运营的六个游客信息中心和十五​​个游客信息咨询亭获取。

首尔旅游局与网红 HelpYun 合作制作的宣传视频，通过官方渠道发布，视频中游客将空塑料杯退还给参与活动的商家，即使饮料是在其他地方购买的。

该视频于 11 月初在社交媒体上发布后，一天之内就获得了超过 285 万次的观看量。

发布于2026年11月5日上午11:38（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月5日下午5:57（韩国标准时间）

首尔市政府在参与活动的街头摊位上张贴告示，向游客介绍“清洁明洞”活动。/图片由首尔市政府提供

得益于一项不同寻常的举措，明洞的游客现在可以尽情享用街头小吃和饮料，而不用担心垃圾该扔在哪里，这项举措将当地商贩变成了志愿者垃圾收集员。

首尔市政府和首尔旅游局发起了一项宣传活动，鼓励游客将空饮料杯和食品包装交给参与活动的街头小贩，由小贩代为处理这些垃圾。

明洞共有 346 个街边摊位参与了“清洁明洞”活动，旨在提高游客的便利性，同时保持首尔最繁忙的购物区之一的清洁。

这项举措源于游客的抱怨，他们从街边摊购买食品饮料后很难找到垃圾桶。该举措是在首尔南大门警察局的要求下制定的，当地商贩也自愿参与其中。

为了帮助国际游客识别参与活动的商家，主办方在全部346个摊位上发放了多语种标牌。标牌上醒目地用英语、日语和中文展示了垃圾处理服务的信息。

首尔旅游局运营的六个旅游信息中心和十五​​个旅游信息亭也提供有关该活动的信息。

网络推广帮助这项活动触达了更广泛的受众。该市与HelpYun合作，HelpYun是一位以短视频帮助国际旅行者应对日常状况而闻名的网红。

首尔旅游局官方渠道发布的一段宣传视频演示了游客如何将空塑料杯退还给参与活动的商家，无论他们在哪里购买了饮料。

该视频于 11 月初在社交媒体上发布后，一天之内观看次数就超过了 285 万次。

“我们将与当地社区合作，将这项始于明洞的努力推广到整个首尔，使首尔成为游客可以舒适旅行并想再次访问的城市，”首尔市旅游体育局局长赵成浩表示。

首尔计划在将该活动推广到其他热门旅游区和传统市场之前，先观察商贩的参与情况和游客的反馈。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。