Allowing Committee Formation Before Zone Designation Based on Public Supporter’s Judgment
Easing Overlapping Inspections for Environmental Measurement Agencies
In Seoul, areas with capable residents and no community conflicts will now be allowed to form a promotion committee before being designated as a maintenance zone.
On August 27, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the removal of three regulations: △ Allowing the formation of resident-led promotion committees before the designation of public-supported maintenance zones (Regulation No. 142), △ Improving overlapping inspections of environmental measurement agencies (Regulation No. 143), and △ Expanding the participation of field experts in the review of building demolition projects (Regulation No. 144).
The goal is to achieve both speed and stability in project implementation. Regulation No. 142 and No. 144 will be implemented immediately, while Regulation No. 143 will be carried out in September after a policy change.
Regulation No. 142 changes the timing for forming resident-led promotion committees from after the designation of a maintenance zone to before. Following the revision of the Urban and Residential Environment Maintenance Act, which took effect in June, it is now possible to form a promotion committee before a maintenance zone is officially designated. In areas without conflict and with capable residents, a committee can be formed prior to the designation, based on the judgment of the public supporter (district mayor), to expedite the project.
The "public support system" (formerly called the public management system), introduced in 2010, is a method in which the district mayor receives city subsidies and forms a promotion committee through a service contract. Forming the committee after the designation of the maintenance zone helps reduce resident conflict by ensuring fairness and transparency. However, the administrative procedures required for subsidy disbursement and service contracting can delay the swift formation of the committee.
If more than 50% of residents want to form a promotion committee through the public support method, if there is collusion or corruption, or if multiple groups are competing to lead the project and conflict is likely, the existing public support method will continue to be used.
The system of overlapping guidance and inspections for environmental measurement agencies will also be improved. According to Article 18-2 of the Environmental Testing and Inspection Act, companies that measure, analyze, and assess environmental pollution and hazards must undergo "quality control" by the National Institute of Environmental Research every three years, which includes proficiency tests and on-site evaluations. The city has also conducted annual regular inspections in addition to the Ministry of Environment’s triennial quality control to strengthen environmental management. The main change is that companies already inspected by the Ministry of Environment in a given year will now be exempt from the city’s regular inspection for that year.
Field experts will now participate in district-level reviews of demolition projects to enhance safety. Currently, a demolition permit requires review by the district’s building committee. There have been concerns that, in some districts, committee members lacking expertise have requested unnecessary revisions, causing delays or raising safety concerns. By ensuring professional review of demolition plans, the city expects not only to prevent safety accidents but also to expedite project execution.
Lee Changhyun, Director of Regulatory Innovation at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "Seoul will actively adjust its own standards if they impose unnecessary burdens on the field or the local economy, even if they were created to enhance transparency and trust in the system," adding, "We will continue to pursue regulatory innovation that citizens can truly feel."
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