50 Vehicles Cut Down 18,000 Trees in Greenbelt

Ignoring Administrative Orders and Illegally Damaging Development-Restricted Areas Again

A man in his 50s who cut down more than 18,000 trees in a development-restricted area (Greenbelt) has been handed over to the prosecution. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A man in his 50s who cut down more than 18,000 trees in a greenbelt area has been referred to the prosecution.

On the 24th, according to the Gwangju Seobu Police Station, construction contractor A (54) was sent to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment on charges of unauthorized damage to the greenbelt and failure to comply with the local government's administrative order to restore the area to its original state.

A was ordered by the local government to restore the site after cutting down all the trees planted on an 8,000-pyeong (26,446㎡) mountain in Yongdu-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, in May last year.

However, he is accused of further damaging 10,000 pyeong (33,058㎡) in April, resulting in a total unauthorized destruction of 18,000 pyeong (59,504㎡) of greenbelt area.

After the repeated unauthorized damage, Seo-gu, Gwangju, eventually filed a complaint against A with the police on May 21.

The 18,000-pyeong forest area contained more than 18,000 trees aged over 70 years.

However, many trees were destroyed when A cut them down.

On the 13th, due to heavy rainfall in Gwangju, soil from the forest area where A cut down the trees flowed out and covered the rice paddies and fields in the village at the foot of the mountain.

A is reported to have said, in relation to this, that "he intended to cultivate the field."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.