Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Detect 45 Cases of Unauthorized Land Occupation in Rivers and Valleys

Cases of Unauthorized Land Occupation in River Areas and Public Waters in the Province Cracked Down by the Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit

Gyeonggi Province has cracked down on numerous business owners who illegally occupied river areas and public waters such as valleys and streams during the summer vacation season to conduct unauthorized business operations.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police announced on the 5th that from July 8 to August 31, over a two-month period, they investigated illegal activities at 360 major valleys, streams, and popular resorts within the province, including the famous valleys of Gapyeong and Yongchu, and uncovered a total of 45 cases.

Among the major cases, Restaurant A in Gapyeong-gun was caught illegally occupying land within a river area and operating by installing convenience facilities such as tents, tables, and platforms. Cafe B in Namyangju-si was found to have unlawfully occupied public waters and used the area as an outdoor lounge, resulting in a crackdown.

Restaurant C in Goyang-si was discovered selling food to tourists without registering for a food service business, and Restaurant D in Namyangju-si was caught selling dishes like chicken baeksuk by installing tables and platforms outdoors without reporting changes to the business area.

The special judicial police also uncovered Pension E in Gapyeong-gun operating without lodging business registration and Campground F operating without registration as a camping site.

Unauthorized occupation or use of river areas is punishable under the “River Act” by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW, while unauthorized occupation or use of public waters is punishable under the “Act on the Management and Reclamation of Public Waters” by imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

Additionally, unregistered food service business operations and failure to report changes in business area are punishable under the “Food Sanitation Act” by imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW, and unregistered lodging business operations are punishable under the “Public Hygiene Management Act” by imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW.

Ki Do, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police, stated, "We will actively investigate illegal business operations to ensure the safety of residents," and added, "We will also do our best in ongoing preventive activities to prevent businesses from violating the law due to carelessness or negligence."

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province has been investigating various illegal activities in valleys, streams, and other resorts within the province since 2019. The number of cases detected annually has been decreasing: 142 cases in 2019, 74 in 2020, 47 in 2021, 68 in 2022, 38 in 2023, and 45 in 2024. However, illegal activities have not decreased in some resorts during the peak vacation months of July and August.