Completion of lifting 'Songtan Sangsu Source Protection Zone' that blocked 11% of Yongin land for factory establishment

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The work to lift the 'Songtan Water Source Protection Zone,' which has blocked the establishment of factories over an area of 64.43㎢ in the Cheoin-gu Idong and Namsa-eup areas of Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do for the past 45 years, has been virtually completed.

According to Yongin City on the 23rd, Gyeonggi-do announced the approval of the 'Songtan Water Source Protection Zone Lift Plan' for this area on the same day. Following the lifting of the water source protection zone by Gyeonggi-do, the Ministry of Environment will issue a notice on the 'Change of Factory Establishment Restriction and Approval Area in the Upper Water Source' after a 20-day administrative notice period.

Location map of Songtan Water Source Protection Area and Factory Establishment Restriction and Approval Zones being lifted after 45 years of designation. Provided by Yongin City

The Songtan Water Source Protection Zone was agreed to be lifted in April by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Environment, Gyeonggi-do, Yongin City, and Pyeongtaek City, and in October, the 'Water Supply Maintenance Plan Change' reflecting this was approved. Last month, the Han River Basin Environmental Office approved and announced the 'General Water Supply Business Change Permit' application submitted by Pyeongtaek City, and with the province's approval and announcement of the lifting on this day, all procedures have been completed.

Accordingly, the entire 3.859㎢ (Yongin 1.572㎢, Pyeongtaek 2.287㎢) of the 'Songtan Water Source Protection Zone' has been lifted. In particular, with the lifting of the water source protection zone, regulations on 'factory establishment restriction and approval areas' have also been removed. The land designated as factory establishment restriction and approval areas due to the Songtan Water Source Protection Zone amounted to ▲Yongin 62.86㎢ ▲Pyeongtaek 13.09㎢ ▲Anseong 18.79㎢, totaling 94.74㎢. Among these, in Yongin, the area where factory establishment was impossible or severely restricted due to regulations accounted for 11% of the city's total area.

The Songtan Water Source Protection Zone was designated in 1979 to supply 15,000 tons of daily living water to Pyeongtaek. However, since then, the extensive area under regulation has restricted the property rights of Yongin citizens, making the water source protection zone a source of conflict between Yongin and Pyeongtaek for 45 years.

The turning point for lifting the zone came when the city attracted a national industrial complex for advanced system semiconductors, with Samsung Electronics investing 360 trillion won in March last year on 7.28 million square meters in the Cheoin-gu Idong and Namsa-eup areas. Since part of the planned industrial complex site was included in the water source protection zone, the need to lift the zone arose. After continuous consultations among the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Environment, Gyeonggi-do, Yongin City, and Pyeongtaek City, a full lifting decision was made in April.

Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "The lifting of the Songtan Water Source Protection Zone this time is a double celebration following the lifting of the 3.728㎢ waterfront zone in Pogok, Mohyeon-eup, and Yubang-dong areas last month after 25 years," adding, "The lifting of regulations will also facilitate the creation of the advanced system semiconductor national industrial complex."

The mayor emphasized, "We will conduct in-depth research to make the lifted area a new great foundation for Yongin's development," and added, "While establishing systematic plans to prevent indiscriminate development, we will also manage the water quality of Jinwi Stream, which flows into Pyeongtaek Lake, more thoroughly."

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