At a campsite in Danwol-dong, Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, where an open view unfolds along the Namhan River on the morning of Friday, August 14.

The area, which is usually packed with campers looking to enjoy river bathing over the weekend, is instead occupied by ownerless tents.

These are so-called squatting tents, where owners leave behind empty tents for as long as over a year simply to secure prime spots.

The city of Chungju has carried out its very first forced removal (administrative execution by proxy) targeting the selfish campers who have illegally occupied public spaces.

This comes as constant complaints have been filed over ruined aesthetics and individuals monopolizing specific spots, alongside a high risk of safety accidents due to summer torrential downpours.

An official from the city river management team explained, "Due to the characteristics of the riverside, water levels rise instantly when it rains," adding, "When heavy rain warnings are issued, public officials are dispatched to the site to urgently evacuate campers, but administrative resources are being wasted as they have to check empty tents one by one."

The 16 tents removed this time are those that were not voluntarily cleared despite multiple warnings through media reports and the attachment of eviction notices.

The removal operation mobilized Chungju city officials, around 10 demolition workers, and excavators.

At the site, collapsed tents lined up that could easily be mistaken for garbage.

When workers holding 100-liter garbage bags looked inside the tents, camping equipment covered in dust, suggesting they had been abandoned for an unknown period, was scattered about.

Various types of trash, including Styrofoam boxes, even filled the insides of the tents, causing onlookers to frown.

It took several minutes just to dismantle a single tent, which involved folding up the tent frames one by one, separating them from the canvas, and removing stakes firmly driven into the ground that were difficult to pull out.

Once the worn-out tents were cleared away, the grass underneath, rotted yellow in the exact shape of the tent base, was revealed.

The items collected today will be moved to a storage warehouse operated by the removal contractor and kept for about a month before being disposed of if the owners do not come forward.

A 54-year-old resident surnamed Sohn, who watched the removal process nearby, said, "It was annoying to see tents abandoned all year round, so seeing them cleared away is such a relief," adding, "People seem to hold out longer because authorities only talk about taking them down without actually doing it. I hope this removal operation serves as a wake-up call."

Following this initial round of removals, the city plans to carry out additional removals of abandoned tents nearby.

In the long term, it plans to step up on-site patrols and crackdowns to root out the practice of illegally claiming spots.

If improvements are not seen thereafter, the city intends to respond firmly by pursuing a service contract to designate cooking-prohibited zones within the campsite.

Chungju Mayor Lee Dong-seok stated, "We decided on the removal to strictly manage the act of individuals privatizing spaces that should be shared by the public," adding, "Moving forward, we will create an environment that all citizens can enjoy comfortably."

(Photo: Yonhap News)