'Spring Wildfire Risk' National Park Trails 104 Sections Fully Closed for 3 Months

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The Korea National Park Service under the Ministry of Environment announced on the 14th that it will completely restrict access to 104 hiking trail sections with a high risk of spring wildfires from the 15th of this month to May 14th, for a period of three months.

The 104 hiking trail sections under full restriction include wildfire-prone areas such as Seoraksan Osaek to Daecheongbong Peak, covering 435 km out of the total 607 hiking trail sections (1,998 km in length) across national parks nationwide. Additionally, 29 trail sections (259 km in length) will be partially restricted considering hiking conditions and wildfire risks.

The remaining 474 hiking trail sections (1,304 km in length), such as Jirisan Seongsamjae to Nogodan Summit, where the wildfire risk is low, will be available for use as usual. Detailed information on restricted hiking trails by national park can be found on the Korea National Park Service website.

The Korea National Park Service will strengthen wildfire prevention and monitoring using 119 surveillance cameras, 412 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at trail entrances, and 32 drones. In case of wildfire occurrence, 68 firefighting vehicles and 266 wildfire reporting devices will be deployed for rapid suppression. Enforcement against illegal activities such as smoking, bringing in flammable materials, and unauthorized entry into restricted areas within national parks will also be intensified.

Unauthorized access to restricted hiking trails in national parks will result in a fine of up to 500,000 KRW, and possession of flammable materials or smoking will incur a fine of up to 300,000 KRW.

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