Installation of Pet Playgrounds Near Rivers Possible... Top 10 Cases from Regulatory Reform Sinmungo

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] With the arrival of the era of 10 million companion animals, it will soon be possible to install small playgrounds for pets around rivers. Rice husks and bran produced during the rice milling process are now recognized as recyclable resources rather than business waste, allowing for their reuse. Regulations on the mandatory on-site presence of dedicated research personnel at corporate-affiliated research institutes will also be rationalized.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced on the 27th that it has selected the top 10 regulatory innovation cases in the economic and public livelihood sectors, improved based on public suggestions received through the Regulatory Reform Petition Box in the second half of last year.

From August last year to January this year, the Office for Government Policy Coordination received 954 public suggestions through the Regulatory Petition Box and processed 102 cases. The operational results were reported to the Regulatory Reform Committee on the 25th, and key tasks with high field impact were selected and announced.

Currently, "grazing or raising livestock" in rivers is completely prohibited. Local governments have been attempting to install small playgrounds and related facilities for companion animals along riverbanks with available space, but these efforts have been blocked by existing regulations. Accordingly, the government plans to amend the River Act to exclude the installation of exercise facilities for companion animals from the prohibition on river occupation permits for the purpose of grazing or raising livestock within river areas.

Rice husks and bran generated during the rice milling process were treated as business waste, such as construction waste, and subjected to strict regulations. The government plans to revise the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Resource Circulation to recognize rice husks and bran as recyclable resources like straw, considering their low environmental pollution and high demand for recycling.

To be recognized as a government-supported entity, corporate-affiliated research institutes must have dedicated research personnel working on-site at the research space at all times. However, with the emergence of industries such as software research that do not require collective workspaces and the advancement of remote work support technologies, many voices from the field have pointed out that this regulation is unreasonable. The government will relax the regulation requiring dedicated research personnel to be physically present in the research space of corporate-affiliated research institutes, allowing them to work without spatial constraints.

In seven nationwide Type 1 port hinterland complexes, including Busan and Incheon, the installation of electric and hydrogen vehicle charging facilities will be permitted in addition to regular gas stations. In Jeju Island, the ordinance will be amended to allow the installation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) charging facilities without urban management plan approval, aligning with other local governments. When waste wood is used for public purposes such as community facilities, special exceptions will be recognized to allow immediate free lease or change of use.

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