Hip hop artist M.IC is surrounded by people during his busking on a street at Hongdae, Seoul, on Aug. 21. Street performance is an iconic culture of Hongdae, but prompts noise complaints from residents and business owners. / Korea Times photo by Kim Se-jeong |
District office in dilemma over noise problem by street performers
By Kim Se-jeong
Almost every day, a dozen street performers, or buskers, present music or dance on the streets of Hongdae, a busy district in Seoul known for lively music and clubs.
Competition to take densely-populated spots is keen on weekends.
However, the buskers are causing a dilemma for the Mapo District Office. The office supports street performances for tourism purposes, but it also has to deal with noise complaints from residents and business owners there.
"We are really in a difficult position," said Kim Sun-hwa from the office.
Mapo is well aware of the value of busking, which has risen as a defining culture of Hongdae in recent years. It is a major source of entertainment for people who visit the neighborhood -- sometimes people come to Hongdae just to watch the buskers.
Lee Hye-kyung, 38, a resident of Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, came to watch a busking performance last weekend with her husband and two children.
"I used to enjoy the busking here before I got married. I missed this in Mokpo, and we decided to come up to Hongdae to see these performances," she said.
To encourage busking, the office built a stage for performers several years ago, but the stage was removed after they complained that the stage set them apart from the audience.
However, complaints about the noise have been consistently growing, and that puts the office in an awkward situation.
Residents there complain that they can't sleep at night because of the noise and have asked the office to ban busking there. Some business owners also say the noise and crowds block the entrances to their shops.
According to the related law, people making noise over 60 decibels (dB) at night are subject to a fine. The 60 dB is equivalent to noise made by customers at department stores, so under the regulation, busking using amplifiers at night is illegal.
In response to the complaints, the office put up warning signs near the busking sites, saying performances were banned between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and those who violate this ordinance can be fined.
Visitors and buskers themselves believe the busking culture should be kept.
M.IC, a hip hop musician who has performed almost every weekend for three years, said, "Hongdae without buskers is unthinkable and boring. It is an iconic culture. Forcing them out of the district could mean losing the local culture."
The full-time musician said he prefers street performances to indoor ones. "I feel more engaged with people. And if people don't like my music, they simply leave, so I know if people like my music or not."
Lee from Mokpo also said she hoped buskers could stay.
Among small business owners, the opinions are divided.
"It is noisy. I think busking should be banned at least at night," an owner of a real estate agency there said.
But an owner of nearby barbeque restaurant said, "Busking brings people to the area. It is one of the factors drumming up business in Hongdae."
Reflecting on the dilemma, the district office or police do not actually fine them. Police officers show up when there's a complaint, and they usually ask the buskers to turn down the volume of their amplifiers.
Some buskers call for self-control among themselves. On a buskers' online community, a musician asked members to keep amplifier volumes at decent levels and to avoid competition with fellow buskers.
"I know people complain. There are a handful of ignorant buskers and they are causing trouble. But most buskers respect locals."