South Korea prioritizes ”fundamental reform of national disaster system” over punishment of forest fire perpetrators

Some have pointed out that the punishment for perpetrators of forest fires, which cause economic damage and even take human lives, is too lenient. However, rather than focusing on punishment, more fundamental measures, including measures to prevent forest fires, should be taken.
Experts say that a solution that can be implemented is necessary. Professor Choi Hee-moon of the College of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at Kangwon University in South Korea said in an interview with E-Daily on the 27th,
"The law is rather strict in terms of punishment. But the problem is that it is not being properly applied," he said. "Even fires that are put out in one or two hours and cause almost no economic damage are not punishable by law in the case of a large-scale forest fire like this one."
"The same punishment standards are being applied to all crimes. The level of punishment needs to be determined according to the scale of the crime," he said. Some are of the opinion that raising the level of punishment is not effective.
Professor Song Young of the Department of Forest Science said, "People who start fires don't think that their actions are criminal unless they do it intentionally. Most of them think it's just negligence."
"Even if the punishment is so severe, people will think that it doesn't concern them," he said. Under the current Forest Protection Act, those who negligently burn down other people's forests and those who set fire to their own forests and harm public safety are punished.
Anyone who threatens a person's life can be sentenced to up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (approximately 3.2 million yen). With the development of scientific investigation, the arrest rate of perpetrators is increasing.
Many of the victims are elderly people living in rural areas, and some say that leniency has led to lower standards of punishment.
According to data from the Forestry Agency, the arrest rate for wildfire perpetrators was 37.8% in 2021.
to 45.1% in 2023 and 46.1% in the first three months of 2024. Meanwhile, the punishment rate fell from 36% in 2022 to 7.2% in 2023.
Of the 279 wildfires that broke out last year, 110 people were charged with starting them, but only eight were fined.
So what measures can be taken to prevent forest fires? Experts say
He advises that a more fundamental system reform is needed rather than a short-term measure such as strengthening the crackdown on fire supplies.
"There is a system in place to organize forest fire management teams, provide training, and monitor fire risk factors around homes," he said, adding, "Strengthening regulations on the use of fire equipment when entering the mountains and applying heavy fines have limited effect.
"It is more important to put the system in place," he said. "Without accurate analysis, we cannot formulate appropriate policies. However, in Korea,
"The statistics on forest fires still do not accurately reflect their causes," he said. "Most forest fires are caused by local trash burning, rather than by hikers. However, it is unclear why residents burn trash.
"There is a lack of research and information on fire prevention," he said. "In the spring, there are between 10,000 and 30,000 cases of firefighting each day. Among these, there are cases where sparks fly and develop into forest fires.
"If we can eliminate the inconvenience for residents and reduce the number of burns, the likelihood of forest fires will decrease. To achieve this, we need innovative and effective policies," he emphasized.