[Exclusive] Cunning Illegal Wastewater Dumping Continues Despite President's Warning on Storm Drain Management

Wastewater Leaking Under Parked Cargo Truck
Kitchen Utensils Washed Inside the Cargo Compartment

A liquid presumed to be kitchen wash water is being discharged into a storm drain (rainwater inlet) from a 1-ton cargo truck parked on the roadside shoulder in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Park Changwon

An astonishing scene of illegal wastewater being dumped on a city street was captured in the heart of Seo-gu, Gwangju, where wastewater presumed to be kitchen wash water from an illegally parked 1-ton cargo truck was seen flowing into a storm drain (rainwater inlet) on the roadside.

This incident occurred shortly after President Lee Jaemyung recently emphasized the importance of "storm drain management," raising awareness about crackdowns on illegal wastewater discharge and the state of storm drain management during the rainy season.

The vehicle in question was parked in a commercial area densely packed with restaurants, commonly referred to as a "food alley" in Seo-gu, Gwangju. Our reporters, suspicious of the liquid continuously dripping from beneath the vehicle, filmed the scene. While observing, they witnessed a man inside the truck washing kitchen utensils as soon as the cargo compartment door opened.

The wastewater produced immediately after washing flowed down the underside of the vehicle and entered the road, then quickly drained into a nearby storm drain. Although the truck appeared to be an ordinary parked vehicle, the interior was sealed off from external view, and the wastewater was discreetly discharged through an outlet under the vehicle.

A nearby merchant, identified as Mr. A, said, "The truck was always parked there, so I thought it was just a regular parked vehicle," and added, "I had no idea water was coming out from underneath."

Storm drains are public drainage systems designed solely to carry rainwater, and discharging domestic wastewater or kitchen wash water into them is a violation of both the Sewerage Act and the Water Environment Conservation Act. According to Article 77 of the Sewerage Act, unauthorized discharge of domestic wastewater to places other than public sewers can result in imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.

Although it appeared to be an ordinary parked vehicle, there were traces of liquid, presumed to be kitchen wastewater, discreetly discharged into the drainage pipe through the truck's undercarriage outlet. Photo by Park Changwon

On June 23, President Lee Jaemyung stated at a flood damage response inspection site, "People hardly ever look inside storm drains. They are simply neglected," and warned, "If flooding happens again, there will be accountability." The very next day after these remarks, an incident of unauthorized domestic wastewater discharge was actually observed in downtown Gwangju.

An official from the district office stated, "Storm drains are exclusively for rainwater, and discharging domestic wastewater is clearly illegal. If such wastewater enters without proper treatment, it can cause water pollution." The official added, "The cleaning activity inside the vehicle may also be linked to nearby street vendors or mobile businesses. If a violation is confirmed, criminal charges or administrative fines may be imposed."

Meanwhile, our reporter has expressed an intention to provide the vehicle's license plate number and the recorded video footage to the relevant local authorities, and is currently awaiting a response from the district office regarding whether they will accept this information.