Illegal Activities in Development Restriction Zones 'Still Ongoing'... Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Detect 36 Cases

Cases of Illegal Activities Detected in the Greenbelt Area of Gyeonggi Province

Illegal activities in the development-restricted areas in Gyeonggi Province are still ongoing.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 26th that from September 18 to October 6, they inspected 224 suspected illegal activity sites within development-restricted areas and uncovered 36 cases including unauthorized construction, illegal change of use, land alteration, and storage of goods.

To carry out development activities such as building construction, installation of structures, change of use, land alteration, or storage of goods within development-restricted areas, permission from the competent authority must be obtained.

By type of illegal activity, there were ▲15 cases (42%) of new construction or extension of buildings without permission ▲15 cases (42%) of changing the use of buildings without permission ▲5 cases (14%) of land alteration such as converting farmland into building sites or paving without permission ▲1 case (2%) of unauthorized storage of goods, totaling 36 cases.

In a major violation case, Mr. A in Uiwang City was caught after installing a vinyl greenhouse without permission and using it as a restaurant. While vinyl greenhouses installed for vegetable and mushroom cultivation and horticulture, excluding the frame, are not subject to permission or reporting, using such greenhouses as warehouses or restaurants is illegal.

Mr. B in Siheung City was caught during an inspection for illegally changing the use of a facility permitted as a livestock barn into a logistics warehouse.

Similar illegal changes of use, such as installing animal and plant facilities like livestock barns or mushroom cultivation houses and agricultural warehouses within development-restricted areas and then using them as logistics warehouses or retail stores, are repeatedly occurring.

Mr. C in Yangju City was found to have altered land designated as ‘field’ in front of a restaurant without permission and used it as a parking lot, and Mr. D in Yangju City was confirmed to have stacked lumber on land designated as ‘field (田)’ without permission while operating a landscaping business.

If construction or change of use of buildings, installation of structures, land alteration, tree cutting, or storage of goods is carried out without permission or in violation of the permission within development-restricted areas, imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW may be imposed. Furthermore, if such acts are committed for profit or habitually, imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW may be imposed.

Hong Eun-gi, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare, explained, "All illegal offenders will be criminally charged, and we plan to eradicate illegal activities through continuous investigations."

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