Even with Violations, Only Fines of Several Million Won... 2 out of 5 Golf Courses in the Seoul Metropolitan Area Violate Environmental Regulations

Among 106 Sites Surveyed by the Environmental Agency, 45 Caught
Most Received Minor Administrative Penalties Like Fines... No Impact on Business
Experts Say "Government Should Strengthen Crackdown and Punishment"

[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seohee Lee] It has been revealed that more than 500 domestic golf courses nationwide are left neglected as blind spots in environmental management. Even in the metropolitan area, 2 out of 5 golf courses violate environmental standards annually, but most penalties are limited to fines of only a few million won, raising calls for system improvement.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 26th, as of 2020, there are 514 golf courses in South Korea. The total area of these golf courses combined is 510.24㎢, which is 84% of the area of Seoul City (605.24㎢). There are also 37 golf courses currently under construction or planned, increasing their share of the national land.

The problem is that despite the rapid increase in golf courses, environmental management during development and operation is done in a haphazard manner. Although the government and local governments conduct periodic inspections, even if related standards are violated, the penalties are limited to fines, leading to criticism that the system is merely superficial.

2 out of 5 Metropolitan Area Golf Courses Violate Environmental Laws

Asia Economy requested the Han River Basin Environmental Office to investigate this year’s environmental management status, revealing that 42% of metropolitan area golf courses (with 9 holes or more) were found to have violated environmental laws during inspections.

Previously, from April to July, the Han River Basin Environmental Office conducted environmental management inspections on 106 metropolitan area golf courses over three months. The inspection found 45 sites violating environmental laws. This means that 42%, or 2 out of 5 of the inspected sites, were judged ‘non-compliant.’ The violations by category were led by ‘exceeding discharge water quality standards’ at 19 sites, followed by ▲ improper waste storage at 12 sites ▲ non-compliance with environmental impact assessment consultation standards at 8 sites ▲ inadequate operation and management of emission facilities at 6 sites.

The metropolitan area was relatively better off. In contrast, in the jurisdictions of the Nakdong River, Geum River, Yeongsan River basins, and the Wonju, Daegu, and Jeonbuk regional environmental offices?six regional environmental offices excluding the Han River Basin Environmental Office?periodic inspections were found to be insufficient. According to data provided by Rep. Kim Woong of the People Power Party, over the past five years from 2017 to last year, these six regional environmental offices conducted an average of only 9.2 inspections of golf course environmental pollution. These six offices manage a total of 349 golf courses nationwide.

While the Han River Basin Environmental Office conducted an average of 27.6 inspections per year, the Daegu Regional Environmental Office conducted only 1.6, and the Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office 3.2 inspections. Notably, the Daegu Regional Environmental Office did not conduct any inspections for four years except last year, and only three violation cases were detected.

Regional environmental offices maintain that the primary responsibility for environmental inspections lies with local governments. A Nakdong River Basin Environmental Office official told reporters, “Basic environmental inspections are handled by local governments, so the environmental office has not conducted special inspections until now. However, considering the rapid increase in golf population, the environmental office has started crackdowns since last year.”

Even When Caught, Fines of Only a Few Million Won End the Matter

Another problem is that even when violations of environmental regulations are detected, the penalties are minimal. Most cases end with fines or penalties of only a few million won.

The Star Hue Golf Club located in Jipyeong-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, was reported to the environmental office last year for ‘improper storage of business waste.’ This was because they failed to comply with regulations requiring waste grass and soil to be stored in a separate facility with a cement-paved floor. However, the only penalty imposed on the golf course was a fine of 8 million won. The golf course stated, “The crackdown happened only because the disposal company collected the waste a day late.” This golf course had previously received fines and improvement orders in 2017 for failing to report business waste disposal performance.

The situation is similar elsewhere. More than half of the inspected businesses are found violating environmental laws annually, but aside from light penalties such as fines and penalties, their operations are not affected at all.

Reviewing data received from the Han River Basin Environmental Office, among the 45 businesses found violating environmental laws, more than half?25 sites?were only fined. The fines imposed were only between 1 million and 3 million won. There were 24 cases of ‘administrative disposition’ and 12 cases of ‘prosecution.’ From the golf courses’ perspective, there is a perception that paying fines is more beneficial than fully complying with strict environmental standards.

Experts: "Government Crackdowns Must Be Strengthened"

‘Prosecution’ is the heaviest penalty among the measures taken by the environmental office. Regional environmental offices delegate lighter penalties such as fines or administrative orders to local governments, but if the case is deemed serious, they investigate independently and refer it to the prosecution.

However, even with prosecution by the environmental office, the impact on the golf courses has been minimal. According to industry explanations, there is no disruption to golf course operations until the final court verdict is issued, and most cases end with fines.

Experts emphasize that to minimize environmental pollution from golf courses, strong crackdowns and tougher penalties for violations are necessary. Professor Jaeyoung Lee of the Department of Environmental Engineering at the University of Seoul said, “When heavy rain pours like these days, harmful substances from herbicides on the grass easily flow into nearby soil and water, causing environmental pollution,” adding, “Government policy efforts to switch to eco-friendly substances for turf growth are important.”

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