3.73 Million㎡ Riverside Area along Gyeongan Stream in Yongin, 'Waterfront Zone' Regulations Lifted after 25 Years

Escaping Dual Regulations in Military Protection Zones
Fruits of Regulatory Relaxation TF Promoted by the 8th Elected Administration

An area of 3,728,000㎡ along the Gyeongan Stream in Cheoin-gu, Yongin City has been removed from the Han River watershed protection zone (waterfront zone). As a result, various activity permits will now be possible in this area, which had been subject to dual regulations as both a military facility protection zone and a waterfront zone for 25 years, making it easier for residents to exercise their property rights.

According to Yongin City, the Ministry of Environment published a notice in the official gazette on the 15th announcing the removal of this area from the Han River watershed waterfront zone.

Area Equivalent to 500 Soccer Fields Freed from Dual Regulations After 25 Years

The area removed from the waterfront zone this time had been subject to overlapping designations under the 'Han River Watershed Act' as a waterfront zone and under the 'Military Bases and Military Facilities Protection Act' as a military facility protection zone, resulting in dual regulations. The affected area includes 3.65 million㎡ in Pogok-eup’s Samgye, Geumeo, Dunjeon, Sinwon, Yeongmun, and Yuwon-ri in Cheoin-gu, parts of Chobu-ri and Yubang-dong in Mohyeon-eup, and 78,000㎡ in Yubang-dong that was mistakenly designated due to an error in distance calculation from the river boundary (within 1 km on both banks). The total area released corresponds to the size of 500 soccer fields.

This area was designated as a waterfront zone in 1999. At that time, the Ministry of Environment designated 24.213㎢ including this area as a waterfront zone under the 'Han River Watershed Water Quality Improvement and Resident Support Act (Han River Watershed Act)'. Due to this designation, for the past 25 years, new installations (including changes of use) of food service, lodging, bathhouse, tourist accommodation facilities, multi-family housing among apartment complexes and detached houses were prohibited in this area.

The city plans to establish and implement multifaceted measures to preserve the water quality and environment of the Gyeongan Stream following this removal. The released area will be prioritized for inclusion in the '2030 Sewerage Maintenance Basic Plan', and until it is incorporated into the sewage treatment zone, strict management of total pollution loads will be enforced by setting BOD and T-P standards. Additionally, management of areas outside the sewage zone and inspection of existing discharge facilities will be strengthened according to the implementation guidelines of the 'Yongin City Growth Management Plan'.

Regulation Relief TF Efforts in the 8th Elected Term Yield Results

Gyeongan Stream area in Mohyeon-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin City. The Ministry of Environment has lifted the waterfront zone designation for 3,728㎢ along Gyeongan Stream in Cheoin-gu, Yongin City, which had been subject to dual regulations as a military facility protection zone. Provided by Yongin City

The problem was that the regulation was incorrect. Although areas designated as military facility protection zones should not be subject to other regulations, they were also designated as waterfront zones, causing residents difficulties in exercising their property rights.

This issue was identified by the regulation relief task force (TF) launched by Mayor Sang-il Lee of Yongin City during the 8th elected term. The TF confirmed that areas with overlapping designations of waterfront zones and military facility protection zones, as well as areas mistakenly designated due to errors in distance calculation from the river boundary, were widely scattered across Pogok and Mohyeon-eup. The city secured additional budget last year to conduct a topographic map notification service for the removal of the waterfront zone.

The city also engaged in active consultations with the Ministry of Environment. In May of last year, Mayor Lee met with Shin Jin-su, then Director General of Water Management Policy at the Ministry of Environment (currently Director of the Korea Environment Preservation Agency), to request resolution of the dual regulations. The Ministry accepted the mayor’s concerns and began a full review of the removal in June of that year. This year, Mayor Lee continued to meet with senior Ministry of Environment officials, including former Minister Han Hwa-jin, urging swift administrative procedures for the waterfront zone removal.

Throughout this process, the city actively coordinated with the Ministry of Environment and the Han River Basin Environmental Office, conducting on-site surveys, providing military facility protection zone documentation, establishing water quality preservation measures following the removal, and gathering opinions from the Han River Watershed Management Committee, successfully achieving the removal of the waterfront zone designation.

Mayor Lee stated, "This regulation removal is a significant achievement following the lifting of the Songtan water source protection zone regulation, which had been in place for 45 years. It will greatly help residents exercise their property rights more freely and contribute significantly to regional development."