Joo Gwang-deok, Mayor of Namyangju City, Promotes Improvement of Overlapping Regulations on Water Sources through Targeted Deregulation

Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Gwang-deok) is promoting a reasonable pinpoint regulation relaxation to improve the unreasonable overlapping regulations on water source protection areas.

Joo Gwang-deok, Mayor of Namyangju City, is announcing plans to promote reasonable pinpoint regulatory relaxation to improve the unreasonable overlapping regulations on water source areas. Provided by Namyangju City

Namyangju City has 36.9% of its total area designated as a development-restricted zone, 42.6% as a natural conservation zone, and 42.5% as a special countermeasure area for Paldang Lake.

Additionally, due to nine overlapping regulations including water source protection zones and waterfront zones?the highest among 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province?citizens face significant restrictions in their daily lives.

In particular, residents of Joan-myeon and Hwado-eup have faced direct threats to their livelihoods since the 1970s due to water source protection zones, waterfront zones, and development-restricted zones.

Under the 8th term of the elected administration, Namyangju City has moved away from the unilateral approach relying on central government ministries and proposed a ‘better regulation’ paradigm that coexists with citizens. Based on cooperation among the central government, local governments, and affected residents, the city has actively pursued scientific and reasonable regulation relaxation.

Accordingly, the city is promoting the introduction of ‘pinpoint regulation relaxation,’ which does not lift all water source protection and waterfront zones but specifically separates areas without pollution concerns while maintaining water quality protection purposes to ease regulations.

Namyangju City has also laid the groundwork for regulation relaxation.

By completing public sewage treatment facility improvements and connected pipeline projects in densely populated residential areas, the city has proactively established a water pollution prevention system.

Furthermore, through meetings with the Minister of Environment, the city has urged the lifting of water source protection zones and requested authoritative interpretations regarding waterfront zones, where regulation lifting was delayed due to differences in document interpretation, thereby driving regulation relaxation.

Going forward, the city plans to accelerate related law amendments through cooperation with local members of the National Assembly and civic groups. This is an effort to solidify the fruits of regulation relaxation and provide tangible benefits to citizens.

Mayor Joo Gwang-deok stated, “Dasan Jeong Yak-yong warned of the drawbacks of long-standing laws with the phrase ‘Beopgu Pyesaeng (法久弊生)’ in his book Mokminsimseo. The water source regulations, which have infringed on citizens’ property rights and survival rights for many years, require relaxation that fits the changing times. We will focus administrative power so that citizens can feel secure and concentrate on their livelihoods.”

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