Assemblyman Shin Jeong-hoon Introduces Amendment Bill for Special Act on Fostering Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Congressman Shin Jeong-hoon (Jeonnam Naju·Hwasun, Democratic Party) announced on the 1st that he has taken the lead in proposing a revision to the "Special Act on the Promotion of Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts" to facilitate the smooth promotion of market maintenance projects.

The amendment introduces a "special provision on consent," stipulating that if a market maintenance project association, which has received project implementation approval, wishes to change the project promotion plan due to changed circumstances after plan approval, a general meeting must be held with at least 20% of all association members physically attending, and if at least three-fifths of all members agree (including written consent), the change in the project promotion plan will be considered approved.

Market maintenance projects refer to all activities to renovate markets by improving commercial infrastructure and maintenance infrastructure and constructing buildings including large-scale stores, as prescribed by the same law and the "Urban and Residential Environment Maintenance Act" to promote market modernization.

The targets for maintenance include markets where commercial infrastructure is old and deteriorated, causing safety defects or loss of competitiveness; markets where commercial infrastructure has been damaged by natural disasters such as fire or floods, making it impossible to perform market functions normally or where functions cannot be restored by repair alone; and other markets recognized by the mayor, county governor, or district head as necessary for revitalizing commercial districts and urban development.

Market maintenance projects undergo procedures such as project promotion plan approval, association establishment approval, and project implementation approval.

Under current law, at each stage, consent must be obtained from landowners representing at least three-fifths of the land area in the market maintenance zone and from at least three-fifths of the total number of landowners. However, in reality, it is somewhat difficult to obtain consent forms again with attached landowners' seal certificates.

Also, if changes are made to the approved content due to business feasibility reasons during the selection process of contractors after receiving project implementation approval, re-approval of the project promotion plan is required, and in this case, consent from at least three-fifths of the owners is also required, which has been criticized as excessive.

In particular, many market maintenance projects have been halted due to so-called "Albakgi"?land ownership fragmentation aimed at compensation money.

Furthermore, considering Article 34, Paragraph 3 of the same law's special provision on consent, which stipulates that if the project implementer is a market maintenance project association, consent should be obtained based on association members instead of landowners even if land ownership changes, it is reasonable that consent for changes in the project promotion plan should also be obtained from association members when the implementer is the association.

Congressman Shin Jeong-hoon said, "It is necessary to resolve the difficulties raised in the field during the market maintenance project process and to block malicious Albakgi aimed at compensation money. Excessive consent regulations that do not fit reality should be eased to revitalize traditional markets through smoother facility and environment improvements and enhance consumer convenience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.