윤호중 행정안전부 장관이 16일 경북 경산 대한천에서 계곡 불법 점용 현장 점검을 한 뒤 취재진과 인터뷰를 하고 있다. /윤희훈 기자

"Through fines or a penalty surcharge, we will consider legal measures to recover more than the gains obtained through illegal facilities."

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung declared a hard-line stance against illegal occupation facilities that take over valleys and rivers in the summer.

The Minister said this on the 16th while inspecting illegal occupation facilities during a visit to Daehancheon in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang.

"The government is currently conducting a nationwide reinvestigation of illegal facilities in river valleys," Yoon said, adding, "We will carry out a reinvestigation twice this year, combining guidance with enforcement."

The Minister particularly emphasized, "We will thoroughly verify, using satellite and aerial photos, at least back to places where illegal facilities existed three years ago," and "To eradicate illegal occupation, we plan to pursue revisions to relevant laws, including imposing enforcement fines, expanding special cases for applying administrative vicarious execution, and imposing a penalty surcharge exceeding the illegal gains."

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung signals a strong resolve to clear illegal structures in valleys and rivers. /Courtesy of Yoon Hee-hoon

Daehancheon, which connects to Palgongsan Gatbawi via the "wish road," is one of North Gyeongsang's representative summer resorts that draws many tourists in the summer. Gyeongsan City consulted with the local merchants' prosperity association last year and removed illegal occupation facilities. Most facilities have now been dismantled, but some crop storage facilities installed by residents remain. In addition, facilities installed by some temples for use as places for Buddhist services remain.

An official at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said, "These are not facilities for commercial activities, but they are illegal facilities that must not be installed along riverbanks," adding, "We plan to encourage voluntary removal through communication with residents."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) plans to push for legal revisions to secure the grounds to impose a penalty surcharge on illegal occupation facilities. An MOIS official said, "We will expedite the legal revisions so they can take effect before this summer."

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