Ulsan City Deploys 'Juksun Guardians Volunteer Group' Until End of June
Monitoring Unauthorized Harvesting and Damage... Strong Criminal Penalties Announced
Anyone caught harvesting bamboo shoots without permission in the bamboo forest of Ulsan Taehwagang National Garden will face criminal penalties.
Ulsan City announced that from the 22nd to June 30th, from 5 PM to midnight daily, eight teams of the "Bamboo Shoot Guardians Volunteer Group," composed of members from the Sipri Bamboo Forest Guardians Volunteer Association, will monitor and crack down on unauthorized harvesting or damage to bamboo shoots in the forest.
Bamboo shoots are a valuable asset that will carry on the future of Taehwagang National Garden, so the volunteers also engage in promotional activities to inform visitors about the value and importance of bamboo shoots.
Bamboo shoots grow in the bamboo forest of Taehwagang National Garden every year from April to June, lasting for three months.
The bamboo forest spans 110,000㎡ in the Taehwa district and 155,000㎡ in the Samho district, currently home to various types of bamboo such as Wangdae, Maengjongjuk, Ojuk, and Gugapjuk.
If anyone is caught illegally harvesting or damaging bamboo shoots, they may face severe punishment under Article 366 (Damage to Property, etc.) and Article 329 (Theft of Public Property) of the Criminal Act, so citizens should be cautious.
An official from Ulsan City stated, "When bamboo shoots emerge, some citizens secretly harvest them for consumption," adding, "We hope all citizens become guardians to protect the bamboo shoots and preserve the bamboo forest of Taehwagang National Garden."
The "Sipri Bamboo Forest Guardians" is a volunteer organization established by citizens in 2006 to eradicate the unauthorized harvesting of bamboo shoots in the Sipri Bamboo Forest. It currently has 227 members, ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s.
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