Reducing Financial Burden on Building Owners and Improving Pedestrian Environment
Full Implementation Across 25 Autonomous Districts Through "Seoul City 100-Day Regulation Elimination Initiative"
Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) is taking steps to eliminate regulations in order to reduce the burden on building owners for relocating utility poles and to improve the pedestrian environment.
The district submitted a regulatory improvement proposal to Seoul City, requesting “active on-site verification and implementation of utility pole relocation by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO),” in accordance with the “Seoul City 100-Day Regulation Elimination Initiative.” Upon acceptance of this proposal, it is expected to be fully implemented across all 25 autonomous districts of Seoul.
Until now, when new buildings were constructed, existing utility poles often remained in the middle of roads due to road expansion, causing inconvenience for pedestrians and posing safety risks.
However, since utility pole relocation was not legally mandated, it was left to the discretion of building owners. Due to principles such as the polluter-pays principle, the relocation costs were often passed on to the building owners, resulting in many cases where actual relocation did not take place.
In response, the district proposed eliminating regulations on utility poles that obstruct fire lanes or pose high risks of traffic accidents. By actively requesting KEPCO, the facility manager, to relocate these poles, the district aims to reduce the financial burden on building owners and enhance pedestrian safety for residents.
Additionally, the district has established systematic procedures by requiring the submission of a “Utility Pole On-Site Investigation Report” and a “Relocation Plan” during building permit applications, and by recommending utility pole relocation through building permit guidance notices to secure pedestrian pathways.
As a result of these efforts, from October 2024 to February 2025, over a five-month period, two out of four targeted utility poles for relocation located in Junghwa-dong and Sangbong-dong were successfully relocated.
Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, stated, “Through this regulatory improvement, we expect to reduce the burden on building owners and create a safer pedestrian environment for residents.” He added, “We will continue to identify and improve unreasonable regulations closely related to residents’ lives.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
