Interior Minister Inspects Illegal Facilities at Palgongsan Prayer Sites, Urges Voluntary Removal

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that Minister Yun Ho-jung visited prayer sites at Palgongsan Mountain in Daegu to inspect the status of the cleanup of illegal facilities along streams and valleys.
Palgongsan Mountain's prayer sites, one of the popular landmarks in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk region, have been areas where private individuals have occupied state-owned and public land without authorization since the 1960s and 1970s.
Although there was conflict on-site earlier this year, including resistance from those occupying the land illegally, voluntary demolition was completed on May 22 following collaborative efforts by the Daegu Metropolitan Government, the Korea Forest Service, and the Korea National Park Service to persuade and communicate with the occupants.
On this day, Minister Yun received a report on the progress of the cleanup from officials at the Korea National Park Service. He urged them, saying, "Even for facilities where demolition is complete, please carefully examine whether any follow-up measures are necessary to maintain the original functions of the streams and valleys and ensure the safety of visitors before the heavy rains arrive."
He added, "We plan to provide incentives, such as special disaster relief grants and commendations for officials in charge, to local governments that demonstrate excellent performance in these cleanup efforts."
Following a comprehensive re-examination of illegal facilities along streams and valleys in March, the government has been encouraging voluntary cleanup by operating a grace period for voluntary demolition and offering incentives for those who comply.
Through these efforts, approximately 13,000 out of 90,000 cases of illegal facilities have been cleared.
Moving forward, the government will continue to encourage voluntary demolition through dialogue with illegal occupants. For facilities where there is no intention to voluntarily comply, the government will begin full-scale cleanup efforts based on a zero-tolerance policy, including the use of administrative vicarious execution.
Minister Yun stated, "Please actively participate in the voluntary cleanup of illegal facilities along streams and valleys so that all citizens can enjoy these areas safely and cleanly."
(Photo: Provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.