To stop nearby restaurant districts from illegally occupying areas along valleys and rivers in summer by setting up platforms or parasols, the government will fully use aerial, satellite and drone imagery. It said it will thoroughly verify areas with illegal structures by comparing them with wintertime aerial photos.
The government is pushing measures to impose a penalty surcharge that exceeds business profits on companies that repeatedly commit illegal occupation. In particular, if "looking the other way"–style intentional omissions by local officials are confirmed during the investigation, the officials will be disciplined and the case will be referred to judicial authorities for investigation.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung visited Daehancheon in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang, on the 16th to inspect the status of maintenance of occupancy facilities around the river.
Daehancheon is close to major tourist attractions in the Daegu–North Gyeongsang area, such as Palgongsan Gatbawi. During the peak season from July to September, daily visitors reportedly exceed 5,000. In a status report on the inspection that day, Gyeongsan Deputy Mayor Lee Do-hyung said, "Along a 2.7-kilometer section around the river, 24 restaurants are located," adding, "In inspections conducted last year, many restaurants were caught installing illegal occupation facilities such as wooden decks, pavilions and parasols."
Following President Lee Jae-myung's instruction, the government is currently conducting a full reinvestigation of illegal occupation facilities around rivers and valleys nationwide. The first round will run through the 31st of this month, with a second round in June ahead of the summer season.
After the reinvestigation, the government plans to form a joint safety inspection team with relevant ministries to carry out a large-scale inspection. Led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), the team will include the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Korea Forest Service, and local government officials.
If the inspection finds that those surveyed were intentionally omitted from the scope or that management was negligent, those responsible will be strictly disciplined. In particular, public officials who colluded with business owners to help conceal illegal occupation facilities will be referred for investigation.
When illegal occupation facilities are identified, the government will induce voluntary removal; if not carried out, it will conduct administrative execution in accordance with laws and principles and impose fines.
In particular, the government plans to introduce a penalty surcharge to stop businesses from illegally occupying areas to chase summer profits because fines are low. An official at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said, "We plan to push for legal revisions referencing the Traditional Market Act, which allows a penalty surcharge of up to three times the unjust gains for illegally cashing Onnuri gift certificates," adding, "We are reviewing imposing a penalty surcharge based on the occupied area or multiples of business profits."
The investigation methods will also be modernized. By comparing and analyzing aerial and satellite photos, the government will check whether illegal occupation facilities have been installed around valleys and rivers. According to an MOIS official, using aerial and satellite photos makes it possible to identify facilities as small as 50 centimeters.
Minister Yoon Ho-jung said, "We will use all available information, including aerial and satellite photos, to conduct investigations into illegal structures," adding, "We will root out illegal occupation and return safe and clean rivers to the public."