All They Did Was Set Up a Camping Chair... "Stop Interfering and Leave," Family Forced Out

Recurring Privatization of Beaches and Valleys Every Year
Delayed Government Action from Local Authorities Worsens the Problem

People have been asked to leave beaches just for unfolding a camping chair, and in order to dip their feet in a valley stream, they are told they must use the jjimjilbang or a restaurant. Once again this year, the public seas and valleys are being used like 'business premises' by some operators and merchants. When controversies arise, local governments announce they will take down banners and step up enforcement, but each vacation season brings renewed bans on personal equipment, demands for seat fees, and entrance fees. Some point out that this cannot be dismissed as the misconduct of a few business owners and that there are issues with local government-issued permits, on-site operations, and management and supervision systems.

Recently, Mr. A, who visited a beach in North Gyeongsang Province, claimed that he was asked to remove his camping chair and leave by members of the beach’s management committee when he unfolded a chair to watch his 26-month-old daughter play in the water. At the beach entrance, there was a banner stating "No Personal Equipment Allowed." He said that when he asked the management office for the basis of this rule, he was told, "You can't because we have obtained a public water surface usage permit."

Every year, there are repeated incidents of demanding seat fees at beaches and valleys during the summer vacation season. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Afterwards, according to Mr. A, three strong men approached him and argued, "If people set up personal equipment, who will rent out our mats and parasols?" and "You are interfering with other businesses." As voices were raised, Mr. A felt threatened and eventually left with his daughter to another beach. As controversy grew, the management committee countered that the issue was not with the chair itself but rather its placement in a spot that obstructed the view of safety personnel, which is why they asked him to move. However, according to Yeongdeok County, the rock where Mr. A placed his chair was actually outside of the zone approved for operating the beach gear rental business.

Recurring Issue of 'Privatizing Public Summer Resorts'

Ultimately, on July 23, Yeongdeok County issued an official apology. The county announced the removal of the "No Personal Equipment Allowed" banner and said it would clearly mark the zones approved for business use and the zones where personal equipment could be set up. The county determined that, even if safety was a concern, restricting visitors’ choices outside of the permitted area was not appropriate.

However, details were not disclosed regarding what grounds were used to order Mr. A to leave or what specific corrective orders or restrictions, if any, would be imposed on the management committee. Critics argue that it is not enough to merely remove a banner after a controversy arises; the responsible parties and follow-up actions must also be made public.

Similar incidents are occurring at valleys as well. On the 22nd, Channel A reported that at a valley in front of a charcoal kiln and a jjimjilbang (Korean sauna), visitors who wanted to play in the water were asked to change into jjimjilbang clothes or to use the restaurant and jjimjilbang facilities. Channel A

Similar incidents are occurring at valleys as well. On July 22, Channel A reported that at a valley in front of a charcoal kiln and jjimjilbang, visitors wishing to play in the water were asked to either change into jjimjilbang clothes or use the restaurant and jjimjilbang facilities. In particular, at this valley, rocks and plastic sheeting had been used to block the flow of water, effectively creating an artificial water playground.

At another valley, an entrance booth had been set up on the path leading to the water, and visitors were charged an entrance fee of 4,000 won per person even if they did not use mats or tents. The business owner claimed the fee was for managing trash and waste, but visitors expressed frustration about being required to pay simply to access a public valley.

The Government Promises Crackdowns... Yet Another Controversy in Just a Month

Every year, there are repeated incidents of demanding seat fees at beaches and valleys during the summer vacation season. In 2023, it was reported that a visitor at a beach in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, was charged a 20,000 won seat fee for laying out a personal mat, and that using a rented parasol and mat cost as much as 40,000 won.

If you obtain a public water surface occupancy and use permit for a beach, you can be granted certain exclusive use rights in the permitted area. However, these rights must be exercised only within the location, size, duration, and purpose specified in the permit. Just because a business has been granted rental rights for parasols in a particular area does not give it the authority to control the entire beach or demand the removal of personal equipment from visitors outside the permitted zone.

People have been asked to leave the beach just for unfolding a camping chair, and to soak their feet in the valley water, they must use the jjimjilbang or a restaurant. The public sea and valleys continue to be used like 'business premises' by some operators and merchants again this year. Channel A

The Beach Act also regulates the long-term unauthorized installation or abandonment of camping or cooking equipment. However, it is difficult to interpret this as a blanket ban on chairs or mats used during a day trip throughout the entire beach. If restrictions are necessary for safety reasons, the restricted area, the reason, and the applicable equipment must be clearly identified and communicated to visitors in advance.

Earlier, in June this year, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and local governments announced they would standardize and release prices for beach parasol and tube rentals and shower facilities in advance and intensively crack down on overcharging and the long-term installation of tents, otherwise known as 'squatting.' They also proposed issuing corrective orders and restricting future contracts with commissioned operators or organizations that failed to comply with the standard prices. However, only a month after these measures were announced, controversy erupted over the eviction of visitors for bringing in personal camping chairs. This reveals that simply disclosing prices is not enough to address the widespread practice of treating public spaces as business zones.

Why Does This Happen Every Year?... 'Operations by Private Entities, Responsibility by Local Governments'

The biggest reason these problems recur is that permitted zones are not properly disclosed on site. Often, only the operators know the layout and terms of the permit, and visitors cannot tell which areas are for paid rentals and which are for free use. When disputes arise, operators claim "we have official permission," but visitors have no way to verify.

To prevent the privatization of public summer resorts, permitted areas, free-use zones, rental fees, and prohibited activities must be disclosed in the form of maps and QR codes before opening. Spaces where personal equipment can be used should be secured not at inconvenient locations on the beach edge but within actually usable areas and notified to vacationers to avoid the recurring privatization controversies every year. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

An even bigger problem is that safety management and business operations are often handled by the same organization. If the beach management committee or local association is responsible for both maintaining order and renting out parasols and mats, it becomes highly likely that personal equipment will be seen not as a safety issue but as something that reduces revenue. Ultimately, these problems occur because of insufficient preemptive and follow-up action by local governments. Problems that could have been prevented if banners and facilities had been checked before opening are only addressed after they are publicized on social media and in the media.

Even at Gyeongjeong-ri Beach, the "No Personal Equipment Allowed" banner was openly displayed until the controversy erupted, and only after the incident did Yeongdeok County announce it would mark the permitted and personal equipment use zones. Furthermore, to prevent the privatization of public summer resorts, allowed zones, free-use areas, rental fees, and prohibited activities should be made public in the form of maps and QR codes before opening. Spaces for personal equipment should be designated not at inconvenient spots on the edge of the beach but within actually usable areas, and vacationers should be notified clearly in advance to avoid repeating the same privatization controversy every year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.