The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on February 27 that it will conduct a comprehensive re-investigation of all illegal occupation facilities in rivers and valleys.
The Ministry plans to establish a government-level consultative body and assign responsibilities to each relevant agency according to their jurisdictions to thoroughly investigate and ensure that no illegal occupation facilities have been omitted. This measure follows President Lee Jaemyung’s remarks at the Cabinet meeting on February 24, in which he instructed, "Conduct a full-scale re-investigation of illegal occupation facilities in rivers and valleys, and strictly discipline the relevant local governments if any omissions are found."
The Ministry will conduct an initial investigation from March 1 to March 31, followed by an additional investigation in June before the rainy season. All illegal occupation facilities will be re-investigated by the party responsible for the original act, and the scope of the investigation will be expanded to cover blind spots outside designated river areas.
Additionally, the period from July to September this year will be designated as an intensive crackdown period, during which local governments will deploy special judicial police and dedicated personnel to eradicate illegal activities.
A safety inspection team, comprising the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Environment, the Korea Forest Service, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and local governments, will be established to meticulously conduct on-site verification of the re-investigation results.
During the re-investigation period, safety inspections will be carried out to ensure the re-investigation is conducted thoroughly. If intentional omissions or negligence in management are discovered during this process, the responsible individuals will be disciplined and the relevant institutions will receive warnings.
In particular, in cases where the matter is serious, such as collusion with business operators to conceal illegal occupation facilities, the case will be referred to investigative authorities for stern punishment of those involved. Furthermore, reflecting criticism that the current level of sanctions is lower than the profits gained from illegal occupation, the government will also pursue institutional reforms, such as imposing fines that significantly exceed the illicit gains.
On this day, the government held a meeting of the inter-agency consultative body to discuss measures for a thorough, comprehensive investigation of all illegal occupation facilities in rivers and valleys, and plans to conduct group training sessions for local government officials in the future.
Yoon Hojoong, Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "If, despite being given the opportunity for re-investigation, anyone intentionally conceals illegal occupation facilities or fails to conduct the investigation properly, we will use every possible measure to impose strict punishment," and added, "Public officials in charge should focus solely on serving the public and approach this re-investigation with the determination to completely eradicate illegal occupation activities."
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