Yeongdeok County Takes Firm Action on Rivers... All-Out Crackdown on Illegal Facilities

Special Inspections Expanded to Ocheon Pine Forest and Other Areas

"No Exceptions for the Privatization of Public Assets"

Yeongdeok County has declared a 'zero tolerance policy' on illegal facilities in rivers and valleys and has launched a large-scale on-site cleanup campaign. This strict response, just ahead of the peak summer tourist season, is interpreted as a move to eradicate unauthorized occupation and illegal commercial activities in public rivers, aiming to restore public access and safety.

Yeongdeok County River and Valley Illegal Facilities 'Zero Tolerance Principle' On-Site Inspection

Photo by Yeongdeok County

Yeongdeok County announced that, in line with the government's policy on cleaning up illegal facilities in rivers and valleys, it has formed a joint task force consisting of six departments led by the Construction Division and is carrying out special on-site inspections of major rivers and valleys in the county on a daily basis.

On May 11, Deputy County Governor Hwang Insoo received a report on the status of detection and actions taken regarding illegal facilities in rivers and valleys. He then personally visited Ocheon Pine Forest and Yongdeok-ri, the most notable locations for such violations in Jipum-myeon, to conduct an on-site inspection.

On that day, Deputy Governor Hwang reviewed the status of operations of the violating facilities, listened to the opinions of those involved and local officials, and checked the direction of follow-up measures.

According to the county, during this special inspection, more than 1,000 illegal facilities were identified across rivers and valleys within the county. The county plans to thoroughly analyze the types of facilities and the severity of violations before proceeding with a phased cleanup process.

In reality, in the Ocheon Pine Forest area, containers installed within the river zone and unauthorized business activities were identified, while in Yongdeok-ri, some shade structures installed during the expansion of temporary farm buildings were found to have encroached upon the river zone.

Yeongdeok County stated that for facilities confirmed as illegal, voluntary removal and restoration to the original state will be encouraged first; if action is not taken within the specified period, the county will take strong measures, including forced cleanup and administrative sanctions in accordance with relevant laws.

Deputy County Governor Hwang Insoo emphasized, "Rivers and valleys are not spaces for personal profit, but public assets that should be enjoyed by all residents and tourists. We will not allow any exceptions or customary practices for illegal acts and will respond strictly in accordance with the principles."

This initiative by Yeongdeok County goes beyond simple crackdowns and is noteworthy for its focus on restoring the functions of public rivers and strengthening safety management systems.

In particular, with the recent increase in disaster risks and heavy rainfall due to climate change, the need for proactive cleanup has been continuously raised, as unauthorized facilities within river zones can heighten the risk of disasters.

The local community believes that this cleanup effort will have a significant impact on improving the landscape and restoring order to rivers near tourist destinations.

Rivers and valleys are part of the region’s natural environment and public infrastructure. However, in certain areas, long-standing illegal occupation and unauthorized commercial activities have undermined public access and sparked controversy over the loss of public value.

Yeongdeok County’s official declaration of a 'no exceptions, principle-based response' signals a more rigorous application of public asset management standards. Going forward, the key challenges will be how to ensure the ongoing enforcement, fairness, and community consensus needed to make the policy effective.

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