Interior ministry plans nationwide overhaul of unsafe bollards

The interior ministry said Tuesday it will conduct a nationwide overhaul of unsafe bollards, citing hard materials, low heights and narrow spacing that expose pedestrians to collisions and obstruct their passage.

The structures are commonly placed at crosswalks and pedestrian islands to keep vehicles off sidewalks. Standards require them to be 80 to 100 centimeters high, 10 to 20 centimeters in diameter and about 1.5 meters apart, with materials capable of absorbing impacts.

The ministry cited a case in which a visually impaired pedestrian in Ansan tripped over a 50-centimeter granite bollard in May 2012, suffering a wrist fracture and knee bruising. It also cited injuries to local residents after they struck bollards in Jeonju in December 2024 and Gwangyang in August 2025.

Working with local governments, the ministry will survey bollards that do not meet installation requirements, including stone units that cannot absorb impacts, low units that drivers and pedestrians may miss, structures too close together or installed in the middle of walkways, detached units that no longer deter vehicle entry and units with exposed internal metal or tilting. New ones will be installed where stopping vehicle entry is necessary.

Throughout August, the ministry will accept reports through the Safety Report system for inclusion in the survey and repair program.

"This overhaul will restore bollards' core function of protecting pedestrians from vehicles while also ensuring pedestrian safety," Park Hyeong-bae, director general for safety-prevention policy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said.