National parks crack down on trespassing, illegal cooking in restricted zones

The Korea National Park Service, an agency under the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, said it will conduct an intensive crackdown on park violations across all national parks from Tuesday through Aug. 31.

The campaign aims to prevent recurring violations during the summer season, minimize damage to natural resources and promote a culture of safe and orderly park visits.

The initiative follows a focused cleanup of illegally occupied facilities along streams and valleys in the first half of this year, and serves as a follow-up measure to prevent recurrence and establish proper park-use order.

The crackdown targets behaviors that harm nature and endanger visitors, including camping or cooking outside designated areas, smoking and illegal parking, unauthorized entry into restricted zones such as off-trail paths, illegal dumping of waste, and drinking alcohol at key locations such as mountain summits.

To prevent violations as visitor numbers rise, the agency plans to concentrate on-site management personnel across all 19 national parks and step up patrols in high-risk areas.

Taking into account visitor safety and local economic activity during the summer holiday season, the agency will temporarily permit access to valley areas only along sections within 15 national parks where safety has been confirmed.

Safety management personnel will be stationed at permitted entry sections and on-site patrols will be reinforced. The agency will also enforce rules against unauthorized entry into restricted zones and other violations.

The Korea National Park Service plans to use flags and banners at major trailheads and summits to inform visitors of key rules, and will publicize temporarily permitted valley access zones and visitor guidelines through digital disaster information boards and its website.

Ju Dae-yeong, president of the Korea National Park Service, said the agency will strengthen on-site and safety management "so that people visiting national parks in summer can enjoy nature more safely and comfortably," adding that he hopes visitors will "actively comply with park-use rules so that the precious natural resources of national parks can be preserved for future generations."