Illegal Harvesting Site of Carefully Cultivated Dureup Caught
A woman who illegally harvested durup, carefully grown by a mother, was caught on the spot. However, even when caught red-handed, she showed no remorse by telling lies, sparking public outrage among netizens.
On the 11th, a post titled "Caught a Durup Thief" was uploaded on an online community. As of 2 PM on the 12th, the post had become a hot topic with over 147,000 views and more than 4,000 recommendations. The author, Mr. A, began by saying, "I went down to the countryside to pick durup to help my mother on election day."
Mr. A explained the situation: "My mother called saying it would be perfect to pick durup in a day or two, but I said I would go down early because thieves might come before then. After lunch, I was heading home thinking of my daughter when I spotted a person at the top of the orchard. I immediately turned the car around, hurried to the orchard, and climbed to the mountain peak."
Mr. A was able to catch a woman, Ms. B, stealing durup at the scene. When Mr. A asked, "Where are you from?" Ms. B replied, "I'm from the upper village." Mr. A countered, "I'm from this village and know all the locals' faces. Don't lie," to which Ms. B changed her story, repeatedly apologizing and even kneeling down, begging for mercy.
However, Mr. A, angered by habitual durup thieves, immediately reported to 112 (police), and the police who arrived at the scene began interrogating Ms. B. But due to insufficient evidence regarding the discovered durup, they could not confiscate it, and after writing a report, Ms. B was sent home.
Photos posted by Mr. A show that the durup Ms. B tried to steal was packed in a large plastic bag. The durup Mr. A confiscated at the scene weighed about 4 kg. Including durup found in the thief's car, the total is said to reach 20 kg. Mr. A's mother, who arrived at the scene, said, "I know the thief's face. She came last year and even last week. Last week was not the harvesting season, so it seems she came again today." Mr. A expressed anger, saying, "It is almost certain that these thieves have been sweeping our village's durup for over 10 years."
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "I hope they file a civil lawsuit," "Most rural elders would feel sorry and forgive in such situations, but it seems they met their match. Don't let them off," "Illegal harvesting of forest products is a crime, and they are quite bold," "They should be apologizing, but they even lie," and "The problem is that there are more people like this than expected."
■ Stop Illegal Harvesting of Forest Products!
- If you steal or take forest products without the owner's consent (attempts are also punishable), you may face up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million KRW.
- Entering restricted forest areas for harvesting forest products can result in a fine of up to 100,000 KRW.
- Stealing or taking products from protected trees or forest protection zones can lead to imprisonment from 1 to 10 years.
- Confiscation of seized forest products is mandatory regardless of price or type.
2. Major Targets for Forest Illegal Activity Crackdown
- Harvesting forest products or medicinal herbs without the forest owner's consent
- Unauthorized conversion of forest land for cultivation
- Prohibited acts within forest protection zones and unauthorized entry into rare plant habitats
※ If you discover illegal activities or suspects in forests, please report to the local government forestry department or the National Forest Management Office.
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