Extinct Fishery Cooperative "Promptly Designate New Operator for Ungdong 1 District"

Request to Withdraw the Lawsuit for Cancellation of the Designation Cancellation of the Development Project Implementer

The Uichang and Jinhae Extinct Fishermen's Association in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, urged on the 25th at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center for the cancellation of the lawsuit and injunction filed by Changwon-si against the cancellation of the designation of the developer for the Ungdong 1 District development project.

The Extinct Fishermen's Association stated, "Please promptly find a normal alternative developer for the Ungdong District development through a public contest and allow the new developer to carry out the project normally," and added, "Administrative agencies should help each other to ensure the smooth progress of the project instead of engaging in disputes through injunction applications."

The association is known to have received and registered 34,000 pyeong of land in part of Ungdong 1 District as a livelihood countermeasure site in exchange for giving up the sea due to the construction of Jinhae New Port during the project process.

The Uichang and Jinhae Disappearing Fishermen's Associations in Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, are holding a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

The association said, "Since fishermen do not have development rights to the livelihood countermeasure site, and nothing could be done during the three-year lawsuit up to the Supreme Court, the economic damage is significant, so we ask to stop the lawsuit," and added, "If a new developer is selected, we will actively cooperate with the project by selling the livelihood countermeasure site and jointly participating in the project."

The Ungdong 1 District development project aimed to create golf courses, hotels, and other accommodation facilities by 2015, and leisure, cultural facilities, and a sports park by 2018, on 2.22 million square meters in the Sudodong area of Jinhae-gu.

Gyeongnam Development Corporation and Changwon-si, designated as developers in September 2008, had been proceeding with the project in agreement with the private company Ocean Resort, but except for the golf course completed in December 2017 after construction began in November 2013, the other facilities had not even started.

As the project drifted for 13 years, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority decided to cancel the designation of Gyeongnam Development Corporation and Changwon-si as developers and find a new developer to normalize the project.

In response, Changwon-si filed a lawsuit to cancel the cancellation of the developer designation and an injunction, claiming the cancellation was unfair.

At that time, a city official said, "If the developer status is lost, the land currently owned must be sold to the alternative developer at the development cost, so the damage will inevitably be borne by the citizens."

"Since Changwon-si has done its best to normally promote the Ungdong 1 District development project so far, considering the seriousness of the project and its impact on the local community, we will take legal action to maintain the developer status, including selecting a major law firm," the official emphasized.

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