[Legal updates in Korea] How 'car camping' could now get you fined

● Updated law: Parking Lot Act

What it does: Prohibits camping, cooking and lighting fires in public parking lots

Took effect: Sept. 20

Punishment: Fine up to 500,000 won ($379.33)

In recent years, “chabak,” or the trend of camping in one's car, has become a major trend in South Korea.

While it has provided travelers with the benefits of convenient and flexible camping compared to pitching and sleeping in a tent, it has also contributed to a surge in fire hazards.

Recent actions taken by municipal authorities in major vacation areas here, such as Yangyang-gun in Gangwon and Gijang-gun in Busan, to tighten regulations on “chabak” campers who leave piles of trash behind or refuse to leave public parking lots when requested by officials, have prompted calls to adopt tougher punishments nationally.

As of Sept. 20, camping, cooking and lighting fires are prohibited in public parking lots operated by state agencies, local governments and public institutions. Those who breach the law will be fined up to 500,000 won. The new clause tightens measures for regulating camping or cooking in public parking lots at beaches and parks.

Preventing unfair reselling of tickets

● Updated law: National Sports Promotion Act.

What it does: Prohibits the fraudulent sale of sporting event tickets using macro programs

Took effect: Sept. 27

Punishment: Imprisonment up to one year/ Fine up to 10 million won ($7,583.23)

Effective Sept. 27, the use of macro programs that automatically and repeatedly enter specified commands to purchase tickets for athletic events and sell them at a markup will be banned. Those who violate the law will be punished with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won. Establishing a fair distribution order will help eradicate the sale of black market tickets and protect spectators. The act aims to prevent fraudulent sales -- in which a person who does not have the consent of the seller of sporting event tickets, discount coupons or vouchers -- that resell or arrange for the resale of tickets to another person at an amount exceeding the purchase price.

-- In collaboration with the Ministry of Government Legislation, The Korea Herald publishes a monthly article on laws that have recently been updated in South Korea. The ministry’s Easy Law service (https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSM/Main.laf) provides accessible summaries of Korean laws grouped by category in English and 11 other languages: Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian, Simplified Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Mongolian, Nepali, Thai, Uzbek and Vietnamese -- Ed.