Motorcycle access to Gyeonggi natural forest parking lots likely to be permitted

Motorcyclists in Gyeonggi Province may soon gain access to parking facilities at natural recreation forests, following a recommendation by the Provincial Civil Rights Committee. The committee has advised the Gyeonggi Forest Environment Research Institute to revise relevant bylaws, including the 'Gyeonggi Province Natural Recreation Forest Management and Operation Ordinance,' to permit motorcycle entry and parking.

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The committee determined that the ordinance's restriction on motorcycle parking in designated lots lacks sufficient legal grounds and constitutes 'excessive administration.'

Currently, motorcyclists traveling to campsites and other facilities within these forests face inconvenience, often being forced to park on external roads due to restrictions. A complaint filed in May regarding this issue prompted the committee's review of the ordinance's appropriateness.

The committee found that the ordinance's provisions on entry and exit restrictions, used by the Forest Environment Research Institute as a basis for limiting motorcycle access, potentially conflict with higher-level laws. The Parking Lot Act prohibits denying parking access without just cause, and the Forest Culture, Leisure, and Recreation Act does not explicitly forbid entry into parking facilities, only 'forest paths.'

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Motorcycle access to designated parking areas should generally be permitted as a right to use public facilities.

Consequently, the committee determined that the ordinance's restriction on motorcycle parking in designated lots lacks sufficient legal grounds and constitutes 'excessive administration.' It asserted that motorcycle access to designated parking areas should generally be permitted as a right to use public facilities.

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There is a need for balanced system operation that protects the natural forest ecosystem while ensuring that citizens' legitimate rights to use public facilities are not excessively restricted.

However, the committee also called for supplementary measures to maintain safety and order within the forests. This includes clearly defining permissible operating conditions for motorcycles, such as speed limits and designated routes, within the enforcement rules of the ordinance. Provisions for sanctions against violations should also be established.

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We will continue to identify shortcomings in current autonomous regulations and prepare reasonable improvement measures.