Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province will pursue strong administrative measures, including criminal complaints and administrative enforcement, against repeated illegal activities around the Jangheung Clean Valley. The city said it plans to further strengthen on-site management and crackdowns to establish order in the use of streams and ensure citizen safety.
Yangju City said on the 27th that recent media reports and citizen complaints confirmed that some businesses had violated the Small River Maintenance Act by installing water barriers within small streams, illegally drawing stream water, and blocking access to the streams.
In response, the city has issued administrative measures such as restoration orders and has filed more than 10 criminal complaints to date. It has also pursued administrative enforcement procedures to demolish illegal facilities, responding in accordance with the law and principles.
The problem is the prolonged administrative process. Some businesses repeated illegal activities while filing successive administrative appeals and lawsuits, delaying a fundamental resolution of the issue. Nevertheless, the city made clear its policy to continue crackdowns and administrative measures.
The city also detailed measures to prevent recurrence. Yangju City plans to permanently station stream and valley guards around the Jangheung-myeon valley to strengthen on-site patrols, and to install CCTV at key points to build a constant monitoring system.
In particular, the city decided to install stream access control facilities on stairways installed without permission by some businesses, in order to fundamentally block the illegal privatization of streams. If illegal activities are confirmed, it will continue measures under relevant laws, including criminal complaints.
"We have consistently taken strict measures against illegal activities by businesses around the Jangheung Clean Valley, including administrative measures and criminal complaints," a Yangju City official said. "We will continue to respond strongly in accordance with the law and principles, and further strengthen on-site management and crackdowns to do our best so that citizens can use streams and valleys safely and freely."
