Illegal Street Vendors in Namhansanseong Disappeared After 10 Years

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] All illegal street vendors within the World Cultural Heritage site 'Namhan Mountain Fortress Provincial Park,' which attracts over 3 million visitors annually, have disappeared after 10 years.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 30th, the Suwon District Court Seongnam Branch Criminal Division 1 (Judge Lee In-su) sentenced Mr. A, an illegal street vendor in Namhan Mountain Fortress Provincial Park who was indicted on charges including obstruction of official duties, to 2 years in prison and a fine of 200,000 won on the 25th.

On that day, the court stated, "The defendant has previously been sentenced to imprisonment for illegal street vending within Namhan Mountain Fortress Provincial Park, and continued the offenses even during related trials," adding, "He obstructed public officials by threatening them during crackdowns and continued the illegal acts despite being well aware of their illegality, necessitating corresponding punishment."

It further added, "Considering the duration of the defendant's offenses and the seriousness of obstructing official duties, the defendant is sentenced to imprisonment."

Mr. A had disturbed order within the park by illegally selling alcoholic beverages to visitors for over 20 years and had previously received two prison sentences and one fine. The province expects that this ruling will eradicate illegal street vending activities in Namhan Mountain Fortress Provincial Park.

Since 2010, the province has continuously made efforts to eliminate illegal street vendors through guidance and crackdowns. As a result, the number of illegal street vendors, which was 31, steadily decreased, and the last two remaining illegal vendors were removed last year. At that time, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung issued a special removal order for the two locations.

A provincial official emphasized, "It is uncommon for heavy sentences to be imposed for obstruction of official duties and violations of the Natural Parks Act," adding, "We will continue to promote crackdowns in Namhan Mountain Fortress Provincial Park and strive to make it a park more loved by the residents."

Namhan Mountain Fortress was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in June 2014 and attracts over 3 million visitors annually.

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