[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has uncovered a large number of landowners and tenants who committed illegal acts such as building vinyl greenhouses on farmland within the development restriction zone and operating them as warehouses without permission, or illegally altering forest land to use it as parking lots.
The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 17th that from September 13 to 30, they inspected 306 suspected illegal activities within the development restriction zones in the province and detected 51 cases of unauthorized construction, illegal change of use, land alteration, and storage of goods.
To carry out development activities such as building construction, installation of structures, change of use, land alteration, or storage of goods within the development restriction zone, permission from the competent authority must be obtained.
Among the main violations, Mr. A, residing in Siheung, was caught for illegally constructing the exterior walls of a vinyl greenhouse with prefabricated panels without permission and using it as a warehouse. While vinyl greenhouses installed with vinyl except for the frame for cultivating vegetables, mushrooms, and horticulture are not subject to permission or reporting, using such greenhouses as warehouses or residences is illegal.
Mr. B, living in Namyangju, was caught illegally changing the use of a place approved as a seedling cultivation site to a logistics warehouse. Within the development restriction zone, if facilities such as livestock barns, mushroom cultivation houses, or agricultural warehouses are installed with permission as agricultural and fishery product storage management facilities and then used as logistics warehouses or retail stores, it constitutes illegal change of use.
Mr. C, residing in Goyang, was caught illegally altering forest land to use it as a parking lot, and Mr. D, living in Goyang, was caught stacking containers and sculptures on land designated as a 'stream' without permission.
If construction, change of use, installation of structures, land alteration, tree cutting, or storage of goods is carried out without permission or in violation of the permission within the development restriction zone, imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won may be imposed. If such acts are committed for profit or habitually, imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won may be imposed.
The special judicial police have filed criminal charges against all offenders and requested administrative action from the relevant city and county authorities. They also plan to continue crackdowns on illegal activities within the development restriction zones next year.
Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare, emphasized, "Since the development restriction zone preserves the natural environment around the city and ensures a healthy living environment for urban residents, we will continue to eradicate illegal activities through ongoing investigations."
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