Cooking Meat and Washing Dishes in Valleys... 'Vacation Nuisance' Draws Criticism

[Anchor]

Many people visit cool waterfalls and valleys during the summer. However, reports show that some individuals are even grilling meat and washing dishes in areas where cooking is strictly prohibited.

G1 reporter Kim Yun-ji investigated the scene.

[Reporter]

Garyeong Falls in Hongcheon draws hundreds of visitors every weekend.

Among vacationers resting with their feet dipped in the stream, people wearing unusual equipment catch the eye.

They swiftly descend down the cliff standing over 50 meters above the waterfall.

Their peers waiting below quickly help organize the ropes.

With its high cliffs and cool streams, Garyeong Falls has gained word-of-mouth fame among climbing enthusiasts as a summer rock-climbing spot.

Social media platforms are filled with certification posts from enthusiasts visiting Garyeong Falls.

Auxiliary devices have even been drilled into the top of the waterfall so that anyone can attach and use ropes.

Installing such devices without permission in this area, which lacks a dedicated manager, is illegal itself.

Arguments frequently break out between crackdown officers and climbing enthusiasts.

[Rock-Climbing Enthusiast: You keep making me repeat the same thing. I get it, so stop talking. I don't want to talk anymore.]

Nearby valleys are suffering from campers cooking food.

Defying the "No Cooking" signs posted at the entrances, people use portable burners and firewood to light fires and grill meat.

Dishwater containing detergent flows straight into the pristine valley.

Trash discarded here and there is rotting.

Piles of unsegregated waste are stacked on one side of the valley.

Discarded butane canisters, blackened grill plates, and disposable items stained with food are mixed together.

Vacationers visiting the tourist spot naturally frown upon the sight.

[Vacationer: Someone must have caused a ruckus here. They set up charcoal fires and did all sorts of things.]

[Vacationer: They cook right on top of the rocks and just leave everything behind. Those are all spots where people placed rocks and grilled food.]

Forest authorities are stepping up crackdowns on illegal activities within forests during the peak summer vacation season as mountain valley visitors increase.

(Video by Seo Jin-hyung / G1)

G1 Kim Yun-ji

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