Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Conduct 'Focused Investigation' on Environment, Food Safety, and Other Areas Closely Related to Residents' Lives

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will significantly strengthen investigations in areas closely related to residents' lives, such as the environment and food safety.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 24th the "2022 Basic Investigation Directions and Major Investigation Plans by Sector," stating that they will conduct intensive investigations in five major areas: environment and waste, food safety, nature conservation, respect for life, and public safety.

The special judicial police will first focus on investigating environmental pollution and waste sectors that have high social interest, such as illegal fine dust emissions from businesses within the province, illegal disposal of waste by recycling resource collection companies, illegal discharge of livestock manure and industrial wastewater, and illegal handling of chemical substances.

Additionally, with the increase in online food transactions and food delivery due to COVID-19, investigations will be expanded to include manufacturers and sellers of home meal replacements, suppliers of packaged meat for school meals, and food origin mislabeling activities.

To create a clean Gyeonggi Province, the special judicial police will also conduct proactive investigations into illegal activities in "rivers and valleys," followed by the "sea" and "mountain areas." In particular, crackdowns on natural damage will focus on illegal occupation of mountain areas, unauthorized use within development-restricted zones, rivers and valleys, the sea, and natural parks.

Furthermore, to realize the value of respect for life and establish fair medical order, investigations into animal abuse such as illegal dog slaughter, and illegal medical institutions like office hospitals and pharmacies will be conducted throughout the year.

In addition, in the public safety sector, crackdowns will target illegal acts in fire safety and public hygiene, illegal handling of hazardous materials at chemical substance business sites, distribution of substandard agricultural materials, and illegal activities of disguised corporate-style rural guesthouses and pensions.

The special judicial police will also operate a separate dedicated team to investigate illegal medical institutions requiring specialized expertise and illegal acts related to fire safety.

Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police, stated, "To ensure a fair and safe Gyeonggi Province, we plan to strengthen crackdowns on illegal activities, focusing on large-scale businesses. We will not neglect crime prevention publicity such as providing guidance on investigation areas and announcing ongoing investigations. Illegal acts detected despite sufficient prior guidance and publicity will be strictly punished according to law and principles."

Meanwhile, last year, the special judicial police achieved results by uncovering a total of 1,295 illegal acts across 18 job sectors, including environment, food, rivers, and animal protection.

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