11 Cities and Counties in Gyeonggi-do Collaborate to Improve Greenbelt System

Kim Dong-geun, Mayor of Uijeongbu: "The Unreasonable Development Restriction Zone System Must Be Improved"
Baek Kyung-hyun, Mayor of Guri: "We Will Strive to Improve Unreasonable Systems Within the Development Restriction Zone"

Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Dong-geun) announced on the 15th that it held the "18th Regular Meeting of the Gyeonggi Province Mayors and County Governors Council for Development Restriction Zone Policy Advancement" at the Union Tower in Hanam City on the 14th.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun is taking a commemorative photo with attendees at the 18th Regular Meeting of the Gyeonggi-do Mayors and County Governors Council on Greenbelt Policy Development held on the 14th. Photo by Uijeongbu City

This meeting was organized as an opportunity for related local governments within Gyeonggi Province to gather and share opinions for the improvement of systems and policy development related to the Development Restriction Zone (GB).

At this regular meeting, mayors or vice mayors from 11 cities and counties possessing development restriction zones, including Uijeongbu, Hanam, Gimpo, Gwangju, Guri, Gwacheon, Bucheon, Namyangju, Hwaseong, Yangju, and Uiwang, attended to share regional issues and discuss system improvement measures.

The meeting was chaired by Kim Dong-geun, Mayor of Uijeongbu and the 5th Council Chairman. The agenda items discussed included Gimpo City's proposal to "allow the installation of parking lots when changing the use to religious facilities within the development restriction zone" and Namyangju City's proposal to "ease the facilities subject to new construction and expansion of neighborhood living facilities." The attendees decided to adopt both proposals as originally presented and agreed to recommend them to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport via Gyeonggi Province.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun stated, "The unreasonable development restriction zone system directly affects residents' property rights and quality of life," adding, "We will continuously propose improvements to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Assembly to bring about practical changes."

Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun of Guri City also added, "We will continue efforts to improve the system to minimize citizen inconvenience."

Meanwhile, the "Gyeonggi Province Mayors and County Governors Council for Development Restriction Zone Policy Advancement," founded in 2015, has discovered a total of 114 system improvement proposals so far, among which 14 have led to amendments in laws and ordinances, and 7 have resulted in the submission of legislative amendment bills, achieving meaningful outcomes.

As the 5th Council Chairman, Mayor Kim Dong-geun presided over four meetings from the 15th to the 18th sessions and contributed to improving residents' living environments by discovering and proposing a total of 11 system improvement measures, including ▲preparing guidelines for small-scale releases (including U.S. military return areas) and ▲allowing the installation of park golf courses.

The election of the next council chairman was also scheduled at this regular meeting but was postponed to the next meeting.