Incheon City Council's Public Administration Committee Approves Amendment to Ease Standards for Aging and Poor-Quality Semi-basement Houses

Shin Dong-seop, Incheon City Council Member [Photo by Incheon City Council]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Residential safety measures have been established for areas in Incheon prone to frequent flooding, such as semi-basement houses.

On the 4th, according to the Incheon City Council's Administrative Safety Committee, the "Partial Amendment to the Incheon City Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Ordinance," recently proposed by Representative Shin Dongseop (Namdong-gu 4), was approved as originally drafted by the standing committee.

The amendment includes a provision to relax the criteria for aging and deteriorated residential buildings, specifically semi-basement houses, from the existing 30 years to 20 years. This is based on the higher-level law, the "Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Act," which states that the range for aging and deteriorated buildings should be set by city or provincial ordinances within 20 to 30 years after completion.

Representative Shin said, "This year’s heavy rains caused great suffering and damage to residents living in Incheon’s frequently flooded areas. We prioritized citizens' safety and promoted this amendment to focus on prevention rather than just damage recovery."

He added, "By relaxing the aging and deterioration standards for semi-basement houses, this will help urgently improve semi-basement households at risk of flooding and contribute to the residential safety of citizens."

Meanwhile, the amendment is scheduled for final approval at the plenary session on the 16th.

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