People who report illegal dumpers can supposedly get cash rewards on the island.
But nobody has been able to obtain the rewards since the program was put in place in 2015.
Mike Balfour will tell us why.

Near a “No Dumping Sign”, waste litters the road.
An unfrequented underpass is full of household garbage.
Along a stream, an abandoned old bicycle, a vacuum cleaner and home appliances are scattered about.
In the distance can be seen dumped trash and some old buried garbage.


Seogwipo City collected 371 tons of illegally dumped trash in 2016, 273 tons in 2017 and 360 tons in 2018.
Cost of garbage disposal is about 100 million won every year.

Disposal Cost of Abandoned Garbage (won)

137.06 mln 127.65 mln 96 mln 111.65 mln
370 tons 371 tons 273 tons 360 tons
2015 2016 2017 2018



Local governments have come up with measures to counter illegally dumped garbage.
But they haven’t obtained desired results.

[slug] Reward program is fruitless
The reward program for reporting illegal dumping is especially fruitless.
People who report illegal dumpers can potentially recieve cash rewards of up to 300,000 won. But the program is in name only.

[slug] Nobody obtains reward since 2015
In Seogwipo, nobody has been able to collect a reward since the program was implemented in 2015.
The city has failed to promote the reward program.
And the imposition of a fine on a violator is the prerequisite for getting the cash reward.

[slug] Imposition of fine to violators is prerequisite
That means if governmental offices can’t not find the violators, cash rewards cannot go to those who report the offence.

Recording
Seogwipo Municipal Official
Most of illegally dumped trash is found at so-called blind spots where CCTV cameras are not installed, usually in mid-slope regions or oreum. It’s almost impossible to spot violators.
<싱크 : 서귀포시 관계자>
"방치된 폐기물 같은 경우에는 주로 이렇게 좀 환경 사각지대라 그러죠. CCTV도 없고 중산간이라던지 오름이라던지 투기자들을 발견하기 어려운 경우가 대다수예요."

[Reporter] Mike Balfour
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon
[CG] Yu Byeong-gyu

The island is plagued with illegally dumped trash.
For more citizens to report violations and utilize the reward program, flexible policies are now needed.

Mike Balfour, KCTV