On March 9, Gyeonggi Province announced that it would concentrate on illegal incineration activities on farmland and areas adjacent to forests during a special forest fire prevention period that runs until April 30.

At 10 a.m. on March 6, the Korea Forest Service raised the national crisis alert for forest fires from “caution” to “warning,” and will operate a special forest fire prevention period until April 30.

Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province will organize 11 mobile crackdown teams with 59 personnel from forest-related departments, including the Forestry Landscape Division, and undertake intensive crackdowns until the end of the special forest fire prevention period.

The task force will focus on the burning of rice paddies and fields, the incineration of agricultural and household wastes, and smoking and cooking in forests, with a focus on areas adjacent to forests, agricultural land, parks and hiking trails. Those who engage in illegal incineration will be fined, while those who start forest fires will face judicial action.

If illegal incineration takes place within 100 meters of a forest subject to the crackdown, a fine of KRW 300,000 will be levied. In addition, even in cases where a forest fire was caused by negligence, if it poses a danger to the public, the perpetrators will be imprisoned for up to three years or a fined up to KRW 30 million. Those who intentionally set fires will be imprisoned for up to seven years or more.

Min Soon-ki, Director of Gyeonggi Province’s Forestry Landscape Division, said, “The main cause of forest fires in spring is illegal incineration or the carelessness of people in mountainous areas, so everyone’s awareness is needed to prevent forest fires… We ask the residents of Gyeonggi Province to actively participate in forest fire prevention and monitoring activities.”