Hwaseong-si "Apply Zero Tolerance Principle to Arsonists of Wildfires"

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 11th that it will strongly respond with judicial measures against not only arsonists causing forest fires but also those possessing fire sources or lighting fires near forest areas.

The city plans to deploy special judicial police during firefighting operations following forest fire reports to fully investigate and apprehend offenders, while continuing to apply a zero-tolerance policy.

According to this principle, the city will refer the person responsible for causing the forest fire near Ssangsong-ri, Mado-myeon, which occurred on the 1st of this month, to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment. The same judicial measures will be taken against three individuals recently identified as arsonists. The city is also proceeding with administrative fines and other procedures against 15 people caught for lighting fires near forest areas.

Earlier, since October last year, the city established and has been operating a 'Forest Fire Prevention Countermeasures Headquarters' within the Forest Recreation Division of the Park and Greenery Office. For rapid response, it is cooperating with towns, townships, fire stations, and others to carry out firefighting, crackdowns, and surveillance tasks. The city is currently enforcing administrative orders across all areas under its jurisdiction, including bans on illegal burning, restrictions on fire use near forest areas, and entry controls in certain regions.

Jung Myung-geun, mayor of Hwaseong City, said, "The most effective way to prevent forest fires is the active cooperation of citizens rather than punishment or crackdowns," and added, "We ask for the attention of all citizens to protect the forests we will pass on to future generations."