Why Seoul can’t shake its sewer smell

Occasionally, a sharp odor hits pedestrians as they walk along Seoul’s sidewalks or wait at bus stops. Although the smell often disappears within seconds, similar complaints have been repeatedly raised by residents and visitors, and posts describing sudden bursts of sewer-like odors can easily be found in both Korean and international online communities. Much of the smell appears to come from the sewer system. According to a 2025 report by the Seoul Institute, sewer-related smells account for ab