Namdong-gu, Incheon Detects Illegal Buildings Using Aerial Photo Analysis

Namdong-gu, Incheon is launching administrative measures against illegal buildings using aerial photography.

The district announced on May 19 that, over a two-month period beginning in March, it conducted on-site inspections of 269 buildings suspected of being illegal among the 1,830 results from the 2023 aerial photo analysis.

The main violations identified include unauthorized extensions of balconies in multi-family, multi-household, and detached houses, as well as unauthorized installation of storage units on rooftops. There were also cases where temporary structures were erected without permission or notification behind buildings or on vacant lots.

Namdong-gu, Incheon identified illegal buildings through aerial photo analysis.

Based on the results of the on-site inspections, the district plans to comprehensively review permit and notification records to determine violations of the Building Act, and will begin administrative actions against illegal buildings in the second half of the year.

If a building is found to be illegal, the owner must voluntarily rectify the violation within the correction period. The building will be marked as an 'illegal building' in the building register, which may restrict various permits and approvals. Additionally, if voluntary rectification is not completed within the specified period, an annual compliance penalty will be imposed until the violation is resolved.

An official from Namdong-gu stated, "Illegal buildings can be detected at any time through aerial photography or on-site patrols by public officials. Since illegal buildings are vulnerable to safety issues such as fire, all construction activities must go through the required district office permits and notifications."