Seongdong-gu Selected as Outstanding Local Government for Enacting Ordinance Supporting Dangerous Residences

Received the Excellent Award from the Minister of Government Legislation for the 'Seongdong-gu Ordinance on Improvement and Support for Dangerous Housing' Promulgated in Early November
...Nation's First to Classify and Support Semi-basements, Rooftop Rooms, Goshiwon, etc. as Dangerous Housing Unsuitable for Residence

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jeong Won-oh) was selected as an excellent local government for outstanding autonomous legislation by the Ministry of Government Legislation for its ordinance on the improvement and support of hazardous dwellings such as semi-basements, which was the first of its kind nationwide.

The Ministry of Government Legislation reviews local government ordinances annually to select high-quality exemplary ordinances and shares them with local governments across the country to enhance their legislative capabilities. From ordinances enacted or revised by local governments and education offices nationwide between October last year and November this year, the Ministry selected exemplary cases with high completeness and applicability from a total of nine local governments through a public contest.

Among them, Seongdong-gu’s “Ordinance on the Improvement and Support of Hazardous Dwellings in Seongdong-gu, Seoul,” which was promulgated and has been in effect since early November this year, was evaluated as an excellent ordinance and received an excellence award in the basic local government category.

This ordinance was enacted to classify and support semi-basements, rooftop rooms, goshiwon (small dormitory-style rooms), lodging facilities, etc., that are unsuitable for residence according to the safety grade of the dwelling, regardless of whether the residents belong to vulnerable groups. It focuses on improving the residential environment space itself rather than providing individual support to specific households. This is the first ordinance nationwide to emphasize the space itself called “hazardous dwelling.”

Based on this institutional foundation, Seongdong-gu aims to proactively prevent damage caused by disasters and calamities and to promote the safety of housing-vulnerable groups from a long-term perspective. The term “housing safety vulnerable groups” refers to people who have lived in such hazardous dwellings for more than three months. Seongdong-gu plans to establish minimum housing standards through surveys and other measures to improve the residential environment.

The selected excellent ordinance will be posted on the National Law Information Center of the Ministry of Government Legislation for one year and published as a collection of exemplary ordinances to be shared with local governments nationwide.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “The ordinance on the improvement and support of hazardous dwellings contains thoughtful measures to eliminate current housing risks while ensuring sustainable housing.” He added, “I hope this excellent case will be widely known nationwide and lead to the enactment and revision of related higher laws such as the Housing Basic Act and the Housing Act.”

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