Namyangju City Council Launches Campaign to Abolish Overlapping Regulations and the Han River Act

The Namyangju City Council in Gyeonggi Province, chaired by Cho Seongdae, has called for the abolition of the Han River Act and various overlapping regulations that have been restricting the development of Namyangju.

Namyangju City Council building. Provided by Namyangju City Council

On September 5, the City Council hung a large banner on the exterior wall of its building, highlighting the realities of overlapping regulations that have hindered Namyangju's growth and the resulting damages. This marks the official start of its full-scale efforts to push for the removal of these regulations.

The banner features several key points: the abolition of overlapping regulations and the Han River Act; 50 years lost due to the designation of the water source protection zone; 217 trillion won in land value losses caused by regulations; and information on eight types of overlapping regulations that cover 75% of Namyangju's area.

The City Council stated, "This year marks the 50th anniversary since Namyangju was designated as a water source protection zone, yet the government's stance on improving these regulations remains lukewarm. Although five decades have passed, and despite the constitutional rights to property and the pursuit of happiness being restricted under the pretext of supplying water to the metropolitan area, there has still been no fair compensation for the unilateral sacrifices imposed on residents."

Additionally, the Council explained, "As indicated on the banner, as of December 2023, land value losses due to the Paldang water source management area regulations have reached as much as 217 trillion won. The City Council decided to display this banner to fully inform citizens of these realities."

Chairman Cho Seongdae emphasized, "For Namyangju, which is on the verge of becoming a city of one million people, overlapping regulations that hinder urban development and force unilateral sacrifices on residents are among the most critical issues that must be resolved. With advanced water treatment technologies now in place, the quality of the Paldang water source is strictly managed, so it is essential to adjust regulations to meet current standards."

Meanwhile, moving forward, the City Council plans to engage in full-scale collective action to represent residents' interests and push for the removal of regulations, in collaboration with the Gyeonggi United Countermeasures Committee-an alliance of residents from seven cities and counties around Paldang Lake formed last year to abolish the Han River Act-as well as with the councils and citizens of the seven eastern Gyeonggi cities and counties that have jointly launched the Gyeonggi Eastern Water Source Management Area Damage Response Council.

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