Ganghwa County Cracks Down on Illegal Farmland Filling and Agricultural Shelter Violations

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Ganghwa County announced on the 13th that it will intensively begin enforcement inspections against illegal activities in farmland, including indiscriminate landfill and reclamation of agricultural land, as well as unauthorized expansion and renovation of agricultural shelters (small mobile houses).

The county established an Agricultural Land Management Task Force under the Audit and Inspection Office in May to promote preventive activities against illegal farmland reclamation and landfill, and to conduct ongoing enforcement operations including filing complaints with administrative and judicial authorities regarding illegal activities.

The Agricultural Land Management Task Force conducts on-site investigations of reclamation sites and other areas to verify whether contaminated fill materials are being used and to confirm whether farming is being conducted according to the purpose of the reclamation. For agricultural shelters, which have recently increased sharply, the task force is collaborating with relevant departments to guide and enforce against violations such as unauthorized expansion and renovation.

The county stated that it is responding quickly by conducting intensive unannounced inspections of reclamation sites during vulnerable hours such as before sunrise and after sunset, and providing administrative guidance to ensure there are no violations.

For identified violations, the county plans to encourage voluntary correction by the end of June, and thereafter will take strong measures including administrative actions such as orders for restoration of original conditions and referrals to judicial authorities in accordance with relevant laws.

Ganghwa County Governor Yu Cheon-ho stated, "Illegal farmland filling causes environmental pollution through leachate and other contaminants, which damages neighboring farmland, and unauthorized expansion and renovation of agricultural shelters raise concerns about accidents such as fires," and urged, "We ask for cooperation from all to preserve quality farmland and ensure a safe Ganghwa County free from disasters."