Criticism Mounts Against Camper Van Owners
Parking Lot Act Amended Due to Misconduct by Some Campers
Controversy has arisen after a camper van owner visiting Daepo Port in Sokcho, Gangwon Province, was caught using electricity from a public restroom. On the 6th, a post titled "The Brazen Electricity Thief Campervan at Sokcho Daepo Port" appeared on an online community. The author, identified as A, wrote, "On the morning of the 27th of last month, I witnessed a camper van illegally using a public power outlet near the Daepo Port public restroom," and uploaded a photo as evidence. The attached photo shows an electric cable from a camper van parked near the public restroom connected to an outlet inside the restroom. A stated, "The vehicle in the photo was drawing electricity by plugging its cable into the public restroom outlet," adding, "This is clearly electricity theft (larceny)."
On the 6th, a photo was posted on an online community with the title "The Brazen Electricity Thief Campervan at Sokcho Daepo Port." Online community 'BobaeDream'
A went on to say, "It's truly astonishing how brazen the owner is to use electricity so openly," and added, "Because of actions like this, all responsible campers and car-camping users are unfairly criticized, which is increasingly leading to the expansion of camping bans and stricter enforcement." Online commenters responded with remarks such as, "If you're poor, don't drive a camper van," "Here come the 'camping car-poor'," and "Financial penalties are the answer."
Problems Persist Despite Crackdowns on Camper Vans
This is not the first time controversy has arisen over camper van owners illegally using public electricity for personal purposes. On the 11th of last month, campers at a beach in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, were also caught illegally using electricity from a public restroom. In 2022, photos circulated online showing a camper van owner parked near a public restroom and illegally drawing power. In September 2021, a Tesla vehicle was caught illegally charging at a public restroom near a public health center.
At the end of June, as a heatwave warning was issued and tropical nights began in earnest, camper vans started gathering in groups of three or five in every open space in the Daegwallyeong area of Pyeongchang County, Gangwon, a popular summer retreat. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Yonhap News.
In the past, camper van owners have also been criticized for so-called "hogging" of public parking lots. In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport implemented a revised Parking Lot Act in September last year, prohibiting camping, cooking, and making fires in public parking lots to address issues such as lack of parking spaces, noise, and littering. Anyone caught camping or cooking in parking lots established by national agencies, local governments, public institutions, or local public corporations will be fined 300,000 won for the first offense, 400,000 won for the second, and 500,000 won for the third and subsequent offenses.
However, even after crackdowns, many campers claim they were "just staying for a short while" or "were unaware of the regulations," making enforcement difficult. An official from a local government stated, "We do not crack down on people who simply stay in their vehicles for a short time to have coffee, but using fire to cook or taking items out of the vehicle and setting up for camping is illegal," adding, "During the summer vacation season, as more people use public parking lots, we urge everyone to observe public order."
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