Starting today (August 28), fines of up to 5 million won will be imposed on so-called parking villains who block the entrances and exits of apartment or commercial parking lots, disrupting the passage of other vehicles.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the revised Parking Lot Act and its enforcement decree, which strengthen sanctions against actions that obstruct parking lot entrances and exits, take effect today.

Previously, authorities faced difficulties in cracking down on parking lots inside private properties such as apartments or commercial buildings due to a lack of legal grounds for police or local governments to intervene.

Under the revised law, if a vehicle is parked at the entrance of an off-street or attached parking lot, obstructing the entry and exit of other vehicles, the parking lot manager can demand its relocation. Failure to comply will result in a fine of 1 million won for the first violation, 2 million won for the second, and 5 million won for the third and subsequent violations.

Sanctions against long-term abandoned vehicles in public free parking lots will also be strengthened.

If a vehicle is continuously parked for one month or longer in a free public parking lot as if it were a private parking space, it can be classified as a long-term abandoned vehicle. Such vehicles will be subject to a fine of 300,000 won for the first violation, 500,000 won for the second, and 1 million won for the third and subsequent violations.

Activities such as camping by pitching tents or cooking in public parking lots are also prohibited.