Seoul City Joint Crackdown on Illegal Activities Including Installation of Platforms and Tents at 9 Locations Including Ui-dong Valley

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Civil Life Judicial Police Unit announced on the 21st that it will conduct joint crackdowns with autonomous districts and the Korea National Park Service for one month starting at the end of July on illegal activities at restaurants around nine valleys throughout Seoul, in preparation for the peak summer vacation season.

The nine valleys are Uidong Valley, Samcheonsa Valley in Eunpyeong-gu, Dobongsan Valley, Surak Byeokun Valley, Baeksasil Valley in Jongno-gu, Gugi Valley, Pyeongchang Valley, Gwangjin Yongmasan Ginkgo Valley, and Gwanak Sillim Valley.

The crackdown will focus on restaurants and cafes that have installed illegal facilities such as tents, platforms, and water play areas on public land like valleys in development-restricted zones or riversides to attract customers. Valleys with many restaurants, such as Uidong Valley in Bukhansan and Samcheonsa Valley in Eunpyeong-gu, are the main targets of intensive inspections. Many valleys located in Seoul are relatively easily accessible through restaurants (private property). Some business owners exploit this by habitually installing illegal facilities around the valleys to attract customers.

In addition to illegal facility installations, violations such as unauthorized land alteration to create parking lots that damage the valleys will also be cracked down on. Furthermore, habitual and chronic violations that do not comply with administrative orders for restoration will be actively investigated and subject to criminal prosecution.

Valleys are designated as development-restricted zones, prohibiting illegal activities such as unauthorized facility installations. Accordingly, Seoul plans to prevent the infringement of rest areas that any citizen can freely enjoy during the hot summer by specific business owners in advance.

Seoul requests that if illegal activities such as unauthorized facility installations in development-restricted zones like valleys are discovered, reports be made through the relevant autonomous district departments, the Dasan Call Center at 120, or the Seoul Civil Life Crime Reporting Center.

Meanwhile, Seoul investigated a total of 17 cases of violations within development-restricted zones, such as occupying valleys and installing platforms or temporary structures, in 2019 and 2020, resulting in administrative and criminal penalties.

Choi Han-cheol, Head of the Civil Life Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Civil Life Judicial Police Unit, said, "Before crackdowns on illegal activities in development-restricted zones, we hope business owners voluntarily restore illegal facilities so that natural environment conservation and the function of rest areas within the city can be properly maintained." He also urged, "All citizens visiting the valleys should strictly comply with quarantine rules such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing."

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