Announcement of Regulations 64 to 73... Expanding Benefits for Businesses and Citizens
Improvement of Unclear Public Housing Criteria
Reducing Unnecessary Administrative Procedures to Enhance Citizen Convenience
From now on, residents of public rental housing in Seoul will find it easier to move to other housing in cases of urgent reasons such as crime victimization or defects. Until now, the criteria for housing relocation were unclear, limiting mobility, but detailed regulations will now be established. Seoul City has also decided to simplify the land appraisal procedures when promoting public interest projects.
On the 9th, Seoul City announced that it will identify and improve 10 regulations that caused inconvenience to citizens' daily lives and business activities, such as complicated application procedures and excessive restrictions and regulations. This is the 64th to 73rd regulatory abolition plans promoted by Seoul City, which has made regulatory abolition a key theme for the new year.
The 64th regulation eases the maximum rental area limit (120㎡) per tenant company at the Magok Knowledge Industry Center (R&D Center). Until now, companies that wanted to utilize the infrastructure of the knowledge industry center but needed large office spaces were practically unable to move in, making this a de facto regulation.
The 65th regulation is the 'Exceptional Allowance of Overseas Payment for Youth Allowance.' The youth allowance is a check card with a 'clean card' function that can only be used at certain domestic affiliated stores to prevent improper use. Seoul City has decided to relax usage restrictions to reflect the realistic demand for allowing the youth allowance to be used when purchasing 'AI-based generative applications' that help young people, including those in development fields, prepare for employment.
The 66th regulation will relax the 'age requirement for participation in senior-specialized courses' from 70 years old and above to 65 years old and above. Through this, the '7th Grade Classroom' of Seoul Citizens University, operated by the Seoul Lifelong Education Promotion Institute under the city, will be expanded to those aged 65 and older starting this year.
The 67th regulation is the 'Reorganization of Housing Relocation Criteria for Public Rental Housing.' Housing relocation is a system that sequentially moves tenants of rental housing to other housing within the supplyable range when they wish to move for various reasons. However, until now, the criteria for housing relocation were unclear, and the scope of movable housing was not regulated, causing inconvenience or feelings of unfairness among residents during the relocation process. Accordingly, SH Corporation plans to establish and operate consistent standards by adding items for urgent reasons such as protection from crime victimization and defect repairs, allowing residents in need of protection to move first.
The 68th regulation is the 'Improvement of Appraisal Recommendation Methods When Promoting Public Interest Projects.' Currently, when appraising land, the project implementer, landowner, and city/province each recommend one appraiser. When SH Corporation is the project implementer, it is perceived as the same institution as Seoul City, causing distrust among landowners. Therefore, when SH Corporation is the project implementer, if requested by the landowner, Seoul City’s appraiser recommendation will be omitted, and this internal guideline will be expanded and applied.
Measures to reduce unnecessary administrative procedures and enhance citizen convenience were also introduced. The 69th regulation is the 'Simplification of Free Replacement Procedures for Vehicles with Non-compliant Film-type License Plates.' Until now, when replacement was needed due to defects in film-type license plates, vehicle owners had to bring a restoration order issued by the district office, visit the district office’s civil service center to apply for reissuance, and then visit the license plate manufacturer for replacement, which was cumbersome. From March, this procedure will be simplified so that owners can visit the license plate manufacturer directly with the restoration order and receive immediate free replacement.
The 70th regulation is the 'Improvement of Registration and Direct Visit Procedures for Information and Communication Construction Business.' The city, in consultation with the Information and Communication Construction Association, will simplify the existing four-step process (receipt → review → inquiry → production) into a three-step process (receipt + review → inquiry → production), significantly reducing the processing period from 10 days to 6 days.
The 71st regulation is the 'Simplification of Application Documents for Seoul 50 Plus Foundation Programs.' Instead of individually issuing and submitting various documents such as resident registration certificates, health insurance payment confirmation, and low-income household confirmation, the process will be improved by utilizing public MyData services. Approximately 13,000 middle-aged and older citizens are expected to benefit annually from this convenience.
Improvements for public institution utilization were also introduced. The 72nd regulation concerns the 'Utilization of Idle Spaces at the Youth Employment Academy Campus,' which was previously operated exclusively for trainees. The core is to establish regulations for using idle spaces and allow related organizations or groups to use the space for public purposes during periods without programs, thereby enhancing the value of public facilities.
Additionally, improvements will be made to the use of open spaces within the Citizens University campus. The open spaces of Seoul Citizens University, a lifelong learning brand of Seoul City, will be expanded from the existing library space to a total of 11 spaces including playgrounds and neighborhood meeting rooms, broadening citizens’ access to public facilities. A Seoul City official stated, "We will continue to make small but important changes to alleviate the inconveniences in the daily lives of Seoul citizens through ongoing attempts and efforts."
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