Taking Proactive Steps in Infrastructure Management... Detailing the 'Infrastructure Management Plan'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The government announced on the 29th that it held the 2nd Infrastructure Management Committee (Chairman: Prime Minister) on the 28th and reviewed and approved (in writing) the "1st Infrastructure Management Plan ('20~'25)" which includes 15 types of infrastructure under the jurisdiction of six central ministries and the mid- to long-term implementation plans for Seoul and Gwangju.

This management plan was prepared through a total of 11 preliminary reviews by four infrastructure subcommittees since the 1st committee meeting held in April, and was established for facilities and institutions under the jurisdiction of central ministries and metropolitan local governments. By ministry, the 15 types of facilities subject to the plan are ▲ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (roads, railroads, airports, rivers, joint ducts) ▲ Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (gas, heat transmission, electricity, oil pipelines) ▲ Ministry of Environment (water supply, sewage, dams) ▲ Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (ports) ▲ Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (reservoirs) ▲ Ministry of Science and ICT (communication ducts). The remaining 15 metropolitan cities and provinces, whose local government plans have not yet been established, will formulate plans within next year.

The management plan summarizes the current status of infrastructure, such as facility aging and safety grades, and presents management goals for the infrastructure under jurisdiction through 2025. The government aims to ▲ maintain a good condition at about 95% of A and B grade facilities such as roads, railroads, and airports ▲ upgrade and repair D and E grade facilities (8 ports and fishing ports) to C grade ▲ assign new grades to underground pipelines such as oil pipelines and heat transmission pipes, aiming to maintain C grade or higher.

In addition, to achieve the management goals, the plan specifies a five-year implementation plan including inspection, diagnosis, field surveys, repair and reinforcement plans, and replacement and new installation. To achieve these goals, the total cost is projected to be 57 trillion KRW, an increase of about 91% compared to the past five years, with an annual average of 9.6 trillion KRW (6.9 trillion KRW from the national budget, 2.7 trillion KRW from public and private sectors).

At the committee meeting, the implementation status since the establishment of the 1st Infrastructure Management Basic Plan ('20~'25) was also reported.

The government allocated 6 trillion KRW in this year's government budget for infrastructure safety enhancement, an increase of about 13% compared to the previous year, to proactively manage aging infrastructure, and has encouraged voluntary participation and safety investment by providing budget incentives through competitive projects targeting excellent local governments.

A database (DB) has been created for all 15 types of infrastructure, including facility specifications, aging status, and repair and reinforcement history, and the 'Infrastructure Census' and 'Integrated Infrastructure Management System' projects, which scientifically identify vulnerable areas and facilities through big data analysis, have been actively promoted with the goal of completion in 2023.

Also, the recently established 'Land Safety Management Institute,' which supports safety management tasks throughout the lifecycle of facilities from construction to maintenance, and the 'Sustainable Infrastructure Management Policy Forum,' which involves both public and private sectors, were formed last month.

A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official said, "With the establishment of this management plan, the 15 types of infrastructure and local governments can manage with the same goals and system," adding, "Next year, we will expedite the establishment of management plans for the remaining metropolitan local governments and check the implementation status of the management plan by establishing execution plans for basic local governments and other management entities, thereby visualizing the achievements."

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