Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Conduct 'Intensive Crackdown' on Illegal Activities in Rivers and Valleys

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is cracking down on illegal activities in rivers and valleys within the province.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police announced on the 26th that from the 27th of this month to the 17th of next month, they will conduct intensive investigations into illegal activities at popular recreational spots such as rivers and valleys in the province during the summer vacation season.

The investigation targets 360 popular recreational sites including major valleys and rivers in the province such as Gapyeong’s famous valleys, Eobi Valley, and Yangpyeong’s Yonggye Valley.

This investigation aims to prevent the reinstallation of illegal facilities such as flat platforms in valleys that were removed as part of the crackdown on illegal activities in rivers that has been ongoing since 2019.

The province plans to focus on places vulnerable to safety management such as illegal lodging facilities, restaurants, and campgrounds to preemptively block factors that threaten the safety of residents.

The main investigation items include ▲installation of illegal facilities such as movable flat platforms in valleys ▲operation of unregistered campgrounds ▲operation of unreported restaurants and lodging businesses ▲unsanitary cooking practices, etc.

If a river area is occupied without permission, penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment or fines up to 20 million KRW will be imposed under the River Act. For unreported restaurants, penalties of up to 3 years imprisonment or fines up to 30 million KRW will be imposed under the Food Sanitation Act. For unregistered campgrounds, penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment or fines up to 2 million KRW will be imposed under the Tourism Promotion Act.

Kim Min-kyung, head of the province’s Special Judicial Police, emphasized, "Although continuous efforts have made valleys and rivers cleaner, illegal activities have not been eradicated every year. We will consistently manage clean valleys so that residents can enjoy a safe and pleasant summer vacation, and apply a zero-tolerance policy to illegal activities with strict punishment."

Meanwhile, the number of illegal activity cases in rivers has been decreasing annually: ▲142 cases in 2019 ▲74 cases in 2020 ▲47 cases in 2021.