Gov't moves to make developing greenbelts much easier

A greenbelt in Naegok-dong, Seocho District, in Seoul. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk Yeol will announce next week a plan to ease regulations in so-called greenbelts, or limited development zones.

The regulatory change reportedly aims to boost regional economies, especially ones in severe decline.

Greenbelts were first adopted in the early 1970s to restrict development in areas ringing major cities for environmental preservation and military defense.

Once a greenbelt has been designated, even gaining approval to build a house in the zone is hard.

Yoon's planned lifting of development restrictions would be the most significant relaxation of greenbelt regulations since the Park Geun-hye government eased regulations in May 2015.

A presidential official told the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday that Yoon believes that a significant overhaul of the greenbelts is necessary.

“He believes that the greenbelt system does not fit with today’s situation in the provinces, which faces extinction,” the official said. “He has ordered government departments to develop a groundbreaking reform plan so that greenbelts do not hold back our companies’ competitiveness in an era of global competition.”

“Improving greenbelt regulations is an issue that could no longer wait as the survival of our companies depends on it,” the official said.

One of Yoon’s key economic policies has been bolstering Korea's industrial infrastructure to create jobs and increase spending.

The plan is expected to include provisions allowing lifting of Level 1 and Level 2 greenbelt designations for projects of great public value.

Level 1 and Level 2 greenbelts have the strictest development restrictions, often for environmental preservation.

“Restricting development when the greater Seoul area is overpopulated while provincial areas are facing extinction blocks regional development,” said a government official.

The government official said that the government will conduct a sweeping survey of greenbelts with the strictest restrictions and update areas that still need to be preserved and managed.

But even in zones that can be developed, the government will apply strict regulations and approval conditions.

Major industrial and logistic complexes that are part of national strategic or regional government projects may be excluded from quotas of greenbelt areas local governments are allowed to lift.

This quota is restricted to provincial governments outside the greater Seoul area, including Gyeonggi and Incheon.

Exceptions must be reviewed by the urban planning committee under the Land Ministry and the Cabinet for approval.

Local governments have been vociferously demanding the quota exception, with Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung the most vocal.

In February, Kang demanded that the relocation of a military air base in Gwangju be excluded from the quota as the relocation significantly reduced the area where the city could lift restrictions.

The government is reportedly planning to shorten the time it takes to lift development restrictions significantly.

This plan includes exempting feasibility studies and implementing simpler environmental impact studies.

The government will also transfer much of the power to lift development restrictions to local governments.

Attention is now focused on where greenbelt regulations will be lifted.

A People Power Party (PPP) official said candidates might include Ulsan and Changwon, where there are defense industry and nuclear energy industry clusters.

The two areas are among the 15 regions selected to host national industrial complexes in March.

“There are so many places that want to develop but can’t because of the restrictions,” said the PPP official. “By boldly lifting greenbelt restrictions, a substantial number of companies will move into the industrial complexes with a lot of space.”

However, critics speculate that the greenbelt deregulation plan really aims at next year's parliamentary election.

BY HYUN IL-HOON, LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]