Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is visiting the illegal facility demolition site on Geobukseom Island in Yangpyeong County and talking with on-site personnel.
[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, has issued a strong warning of administrative enforcement and criminal punishment against illegally installed facilities in rivers and valleys that have not yet been demolished.
On the 9th, Governor Lee posted on Facebook, "Currently, 93.8% of illegal river and valley facilities in the province have been removed," adding, "For the remaining illegal facilities that have not been demolished, we have decided to take strong measures including criminal punishment for all involved as a deterrent, full administrative enforcement, and collection of all demolition costs."
He continued, "Let us join forces to create a world where we live together with mutual respect in a healthy and clean environment."
According to Gyeonggi Province, as of the 3rd of this month, out of 1,436 illegal facilities detected in 187 rivers across 25 cities and counties in the province, 1,347 sites, or 93.8%, have been demolished. Among these, 49 sites were forcibly demolished through administrative enforcement, while 1,298 sites were voluntarily removed.
There are still 89 illegal facilities that have not been demolished. The province plans to forcibly demolish 35 of these, excluding 53 that are used as actual residences and one site where demolition poses a risk of collapse.
On the 31st of last month, the province instructed all cities and counties to enforce compulsory demolition of illegal facilities without exception, excluding those used as actual residences.
Additionally, among the 35 sites subject to forced demolition, 11 have already been prosecuted. Furthermore, the 24 sites that had submitted voluntary demolition pledges and had their prosecutions deferred have entered prosecution procedures starting from the 8th of this month.
The province had previously provided opportunities for voluntary demolition and pursued a two-track strategy involving administrative enforcement warnings and warrant issuance, but seeing the situation as unfavorable, it recently decided to proceed with forced demolition without any exceptions.
Accordingly, administrative enforcement will begin on the 17th at Osan Gwoldongcheon, followed by Gapyeong Daljeoncheon on the 20th, Yangpyeong Heukcheon on the 24th, and Pyeongtaek Anseongcheon on the 30th.
Of the 49 sites previously demolished through administrative enforcement, the province has billed 38 million KRW in administrative enforcement costs for two sites where the perpetrators are known, excluding 47 sites where the perpetrators are unknown.
Non-payment of administrative enforcement costs will be met with a zero-tolerance policy, including strong measures such as land seizure.
For valleys where illegal facilities have been removed, the province is restoring them to a natural state, installing eco-friendly convenience facilities, and implementing livelihood support projects for residents including tourism, food, lodging, and rest areas.
Since last year, the province has designated the "Clean Valley Restoration Project" as a key initiative and has been implementing measures to eradicate illegal activities in rivers and valleys, providing full support for voluntary demolition and strictly punishing non-compliance.
On the 24th of last month, Governor Lee visited Geobukseom in Yangpyeong County, the largest illegal river and valley facility demolition site in the province, conducting a "final inspection" and expressing a strong commitment to eradicating illegal activities.
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