Chinese mother and daughter caught stealing boxes full of 'Mongdol' in Jeju say, "To decorate the yard"

A Chinese mother and daughter were caught by the police while attempting to illegally take dozens of pebbles from the coast of Jeju. It is reported that they stole the gravel to decorate their yard.

On the 4th, Seogwipo Police Station announced that they have booked and are investigating A (in her 60s) and B (in her 30s), both Chinese nationals, without detention on charges of special theft and violation of the Act on the Management and Reclamation of Public Waters.

They are suspected of taking about 100 natural stones (pebbles) from the coastal area near Baksugijeong in Daepyeong-ri, Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo City, around 4:30 p.m. on the 30th of last month.

Gravel that Ms. A and her daughter tried to take
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to the police, the two are mother and daughter. While walking along a pebble beach, they picked up round and smooth stones and placed them in paper boxes and shopping bags, loading them into their vehicle. It is known that the number of pebbles they collected far exceeded 100.

A nearby tourist happened to witness this and reported to 112, saying, "Chinese people are loading gravel into a vehicle," and when the police arrived, the two were caught on the spot.

During the police investigation, they reportedly stated, "We intended to use them for yard landscaping" and "We did not know that collecting pebbles was illegal." The Chinese nationals are known to have legally established residence in Jeju and have been living there for quite some time.

According to the Act on the Management and Reclamation of Public Waters, if one extracts soil, sand, or stones from public waters without permission from the public waters management authority, they may face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

In Jeju, there are frequent cases where tourists or residents are punished for illegally collecting or trading rocks or pebbles from mountains, seas, and other areas. Earlier in April, individuals who illegally collected three coastal rocks from Jeju were caught after an investigation lasting about six months.

A representative from the Jeju Police Agency said, "Even taking one or two pebbles thinking it is insignificant is clearly theft and a criminal act," adding, "Not only tourists visiting Jeju but also Jeju residents should not unlawfully collect natural stones or pick up pebbles from Jeju."

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