Jeju Autonomous Police Arrest Landscaping Contractor for Unauthorized Uprooting of 66 People's Zelkova Trees

Damage to 8,627㎡ of Forest While Creating Heavy Equipment Access Road for Excavating Paengnamu Tree

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won] The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Autonomous Police Unit (Chief Ko Chang-kyung) announced on the 7th that landscaping contractor A was arrested on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for unauthorized uprooting of about 60 Zelkova trees owned by others and planting them on land he leased, causing forest damage in the process.

According to the Autonomous Police Unit on the 14th, landscaping contractor A and others scouted a secluded area around Sogil-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju City, and leased the land under the pretense of using it for horse breeding and farmland.

They used heavy equipment to illegally uproot 66 Zelkova trees (worth about 300 million KRW) planted on nearby land owned by others, transplanted them to the leased land, and attempted to sell them to landscaping contractors outside the province but were caught.

In particular, during the process of creating an access road for heavy equipment to uproot the Zelkova trees, 8,627㎡ of forest was damaged.

The Autonomous Police Unit is also investigating landscaping contractor B and excavator operator C for their involvement and conspiracy.

Chief Ko Chang-kyung of the Autonomous Police Unit stated, “From January to October this year, we conducted investigations into illegal development and damage to forests, resulting in 45 cases (52 people) being sent for prosecution without detention on charges of illegal damage,” and added, “We will strictly enforce a zero-tolerance policy against illegal acts such as forest damage.”

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