Goyang Mayor Donghwan Lee Criticizes National Assembly, "Lost All Time Waiting for '1st Generation New Town Special Act' Legislation"

"Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and TF Formed to Boldly Revise Regulations and Promptly Provide Direction for Implementation"

Donghwan Lee, Mayor of Goyang [Goyang City]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] Lee Dong-hwan, mayor of Goyang City, criticized the delay in the enactment of the 1st New Town Special Act by the National Assembly and emphasized the need to present a direction for rapid progress regarding the recent dispute over the 1st New Town redevelopment plan between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Gyeonggi Province.

On the 28th, Mayor Lee Dong-hwan commented on Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon's recent direct criticism of MOLIT's plan, stating, "There is not much difference between the government's initially announced 1st New Town redevelopment plan and Gyeonggi Province's subsequent announcement," and emphasized, "Promptly presenting a direction for progress can reduce confusion among new town residents."

The mayor particularly stated, "Several special bills concerning the 1st New Town are currently pending in the National Assembly, but above all, we will seek ways to improve and proceed with immediate regulations within the framework of current laws through consultation with MOLIT to enable rapid redevelopment of the 1st New Town."

To this end, he plans to propose to MOLIT the prompt revision of the "Safety Inspection Standards for Housing Reconstruction Judgments," which is based on the current "Act on Maintenance and Improvement of Urban Areas and Dwelling Conditions."

The safety inspection standards, which have been tightened since 2018, place excessive weight on the "structural stability performance score," while the "residential environment evaluation performance score," which assesses factors such as parking spaces per household, energy efficiency, living environment for the elderly and children, and adequacy of indoor living space, is relatively low.

Mayor Lee pointed out that the current safety inspection standards are already significantly outdated and do not adequately reflect the realistic conditions of residents in the 1st New Town, who are experiencing many inconveniences due to aging infrastructure.

He added, "The basic plan will establish a redevelopment foundation not only for the 1st New Town, Ilsan New Town, but also for other aging residential development districts across Goyang City, including Seongsa, Hwajeong, Haengsin, Jungsan, and Tanhyeon."

Regarding the special bills on the 1st New Town currently pending in the National Assembly, he also stated, "Only by granting mayors of large cities with populations over 500,000, such as through the 'Act on Maintenance and Improvement of Urban Areas and Dwelling Conditions,' the authority to establish plans and proceed with reconstruction projects can residents' opinions be properly and promptly reflected."

Mayor Lee said, "If reconstruction is carried out through the enactment of the special act or the Act on Maintenance and Improvement of Urban Areas and Dwelling Conditions, we plan to select 'pilot complexes' to support consulting services for basic surveys and project feasibility analyses, as well as provide financial support for safety inspections, thereby shortening project periods and securing momentum for project promotion."

Meanwhile, Mayor Lee plans to convey these points of Goyang City during a meeting scheduled for September 8 with MOLIT Minister Won Hee-ryong and heads of the five new town local governments, aiming to draw active government support and ensure that the redevelopment of the 1st New Town proceeds as swiftly as possible.