Illegal Construction Installed in Chungju Riverside Park Parking Lot, Citizens Outraged

A private individual has installed an illegal structure in the parking lot of Danwal Riverside Park in Chungju, inciting public anger.

Chungju City announced on the 19th that they had notified the owner of the structure to demolish it voluntarily.

The problematic structure was discovered earlier this month in the public parking lot of Danwal Riverside Park. It is a framework made of metal, measuring 6m in width, 2.5m in length, and 3m in height, with transparent materials used to construct it.

Inside the structure, there were chairs and tables, as well as a fire pit for grilling meat. This is a clear illegal act of unlawfully occupying a public parking lot for private use, leading to intense protests from citizens.

Clear illegal act of unlawfully occupying a public parking lot for private use

Administrative actions against illegal occupation of public facilities

Chungju City plans to issue a corrective order up to twice under the Administrative Procedure Act and impose a fine for non-compliance if the structure is not voluntarily dismantled by the end of this week.

The city has affixed warning notices in an attempt to locate the owner, and it has been reported that they have recently received contact from the owner.

In response, citizens of Chungju have voiced strong criticism, saying things like, "How can someone install such a thing in the park's parking lot?" "The city must take action immediately," "Parking a camping car was nothing compared to this," and "They should come on Chungju City's YouTube and be publicly shamed."

Meanwhile, there were complaints about long-term parking of caravans in Danwal Riverside Park in 2021 as well.

Camping cars are classified as 'vehicles' under the Automobile Management Act, allowing them to park in free public parking lots, making legal sanctions difficult.

To address the so-called 'camping car squat' issue, the government introduced a caravan garage certification system in February 2020; however, parking in public lots aside from designated garages is not illegal, making it ineffective as a fundamental solution.

Image source: ChungjuCity.com, material photos for understanding the article / Getty Images Bank