Gyeonggi Province Prosecution Detects 51 Cases of Illegal Forestland Damage Equivalent to 5 Soccer Fields

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Individuals illegally damaging forestland equivalent to 5 times the size of a soccer field—by installing facilities without permission and developing agricultural land on forestland—have been detected in large numbers by the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Division.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Division conducted on-site inspections of 601 forestland parcels across the province suspected of damage in aerial photographs from October 18-27 to promote diverse public functions of forests and preserve the national environment, resulting in the detection of 51 violations (51 individuals) of the Forestland Management Act, announced on the 30th.

The damaged area is approximately 36,981 square meters (approximately 11,187 pyeong)—about 5 times the area of a soccer field (7,140 square meters).

The violations included ▲26 cases of illegal facility installations ▲4 cases of unauthorized agricultural land development ▲5 cases of illegal parking lot creation ▲2 cases of illegal cemetery development ▲14 other cases including camping site development.

Key detection cases show that individual A purchased 2,455 square meters of forestland in Uijeongbu in 2019 and was detected illegally damaging it through excavation and embankment without obtaining forestland conversion permits from relevant authorities, having relocated a family grave there.

Individual B was caught installing and using temporary buildings without forestland conversion permits on 103 square meters of forestland in Dongducheon in 2020 for use as an agricultural storage shed for weekend farming.

Individual C was found to have illegally constructed 2 vinyl greenhouses on 130 square meters of forestland in Siheung to store timber.

Self-employed individual D in Ansan operated a camping site on 13,916 square meters of forestland without forestland conversion permits from 2014, was detected once in 2020, and continued operations after detection, resulting in an additional detection and criminal prosecution.

Under the Forestland Management Act, installing facilities or developing agricultural land on forestland without permission from the Forest Service Commissioner, provincial governors, or city/county/district heads results in sentences of up to 3 years imprisonment or fines up to 30 million won in semi-protected forestland areas, and up to 5 years imprisonment or fines up to 50 million won in protected forestland areas.

The Special Judicial Police Division plans to refer the 51 detected cases to the prosecution and notify relevant cities and counties to restore the sites to their original condition.

Yun Tae-wan, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Division, stated, "Through continuous enforcement and publicity via cities and counties, we plan to promote awareness change and eliminate illegal forestland activities."