Suncheon-si, Crackdown on Illegal Harvesting of Forest Products in Autumn

Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that it will conduct crackdowns until the end of October to prevent illegal digging and harvesting of forest products during the peak autumn harvesting season.

The main targets of the crackdown are forest products such as mushrooms, including Neungi mushrooms, and chestnuts. Harvesting these without the consent of the forest owner is considered illegal and will be strictly punished. Additionally, smoking in the forest and carrying fire sources such as lighters, which pose a risk of forest fires, are also subject to enforcement.

Suncheon City will conduct crackdowns until the end of October to prevent illegal digging and harvesting of forest products in the forest during the full-scale autumn forest product harvesting season.
[Photo by Suncheon City]

The city plans to strengthen this crackdown to protect forest resources and minimize damage to forestry workers. In particular, forest special judicial police will patrol major forest areas and use drones equipped with thermal cameras and broadcasting equipment to monitor even hard-to-reach forest areas.

Furthermore, notices prohibiting illegal harvesting of forest products will be posted on major hiking trails and forest roads to provide related information to hikers and others.

If illegal harvesting of forest products is detected during the enforcement period, offenders may face up to five years in prison or fines of up to 50 million won under the "Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources."

A city official stated, “Illegal harvesting of forest products causes significant damage to the forest ecosystem and forestry workers, so the mindset of ‘as long as I don’t get caught’ must be abandoned, and citizens’ cooperation is essential to eradicate this.” He added, “We will continue strong crackdowns to raise awareness about illegal harvesting of forest products.”