The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 30th it held a countermeasure meeting with related agencies for intensive management of illegal activities in rivers and valleys in summer.
The meeting, presided over by Kim Yong-gyun, Director General for Natural Disaster at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), was attended by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, the Korea National Park Service, officials from 16 metropolitan and provincial governments, and 168 city, county and district offices in areas where commercial activities are a concern.
The meeting was arranged to discuss response measures as illegal acts such as irregular business operations targeting weekends and lunchtime—when enforcement is weak—and obstruction of access have continued to occur recently in some rivers and valleys.
In response, the government decided to designate and operate Aug. 1 to 31 as a "special crackdown period on illegal activities in rivers and valleys" and move to respond.
Local governments will form joint special enforcement teams with related departments to conduct intensive crackdowns during vulnerable hours. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) will dispatch region-specific responsibility teams led by Directors to carry out joint inspections.
Along with this, to prevent illegal activities, authorities will increase enforcement personnel and install CC (closed-circuit) TV to establish a constant monitoring system. In areas where illegal activities occur habitually, guide signs and banners will be installed so users can recognize the violations.
In particular, illegal facilities that are caught will be subject to restoration-to-original orders and administrative execution, and authorities plan to consider administrative measures such as imposing compensation for illegal occupation and business suspensions under related laws including the Food Sanitation Act.
Kim Yong-gyun, Director General for Natural Disaster, said, "We will eradicate illegal activities by conducting a special crackdown throughout August so people can use rivers and valleys with confidence and enjoy a comfortable vacation," and added, "If you discover illegal activities, please report them proactively through the Safety Reporting Portal."