Bark Stripped from Over 400 Machilus Trees, 7 Tons Sold
Zero-Tolerance Policy for Crimes Privatizing Forest Resources
The Jeju Autonomous Police Agency arrested and sent a man in his 50s, Mr. A, to the prosecution on charges of stripping a large amount of Machilus bark and damaging forest land in Seongeup-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo City last June. The affected trees are currently at risk of dying. Photo by Jeju Autonomous Police Agency
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Autonomous Police Agency, led by Chief Oh Choongik, has arrested and referred to the prosecution a man in his 50s for illegally stripping and selling the bark from approximately 400 Machilus trees in local forests. This incident, involving the indiscriminate destruction of Jeju’s precious forest resources for financial gain, has left the affected trees at risk of dying.
The Jeju Autonomous Police Agency announced that last June, they arrested and sent Mr. A, a man in his 50s, to the prosecution for damaging a large amount of Machilus bark by stripping it in the forest area of Seongeup-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo City.
On June 17, the media reported that the bark of dozens of Machilus trees had been stripped in the Seongeup-ri forest. The Seogwipo Regional Police Unit of the Autonomous Police, together with Seogwipo City, assessed the scale of the damage and, through CCTV footage analysis and dozens of field investigations, apprehended the suspect, Mr. A, on June 27.
Initially, it was believed that Mr. A had stripped bark from about 100 Machilus trees. However, investigators suspected the damage was more extensive and, in close cooperation with the Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office, executed search and seizure warrants on Mr. A’s residence and mobile phone. Through digital forensics and interviews with related individuals, they uncovered additional offenses committed by Mr. A and traced the final distribution route of the stripped Machilus bark.
The investigation revealed that between May and June, Mr. A mobilized four to five workers and, without the consent of landowners or authorization from local authorities, used tools such as hoes and ladders to illegally harvest about 7 tons of bark from over 400 Machilus trees across 18 plots, including Seongeup-ri. Mr. A sold the stolen bark to a local food processing company, earning approximately 20 million won (about 15,000 US dollars) in profit.
Immediately after the incident, Seogwipo City mobilized tree specialists to apply loess as an emergency treatment to the damaged Machilus trees. However, some of the affected trees are now withering and dying.
Considering the seriousness of the charges and the risk of evidence destruction, the Seogwipo Regional Police Unit applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. A on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. After a substantive warrant review by the court, the arrest warrant was issued.
Kang Suchun, Chief of the Seogwipo Regional Police Unit, stated, "Even after apprehending the suspect, we continued a relentless investigation, which uncovered additional crimes and allowed us to track the final distribution route of the stripped Machilus bark. We will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach against any attempts to privatize Jeju’s invaluable forest resources."
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