Goyang City Approves Sanhwangsan Golf Course Expansion: "Transparent Process in Accordance with Law and Procedure"

Approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport,
Reviewed by the Environmental Office, and Verified by the Board of Audit and Inspection
Over Ten Years of Lawful Procedures
Some Groups Continue to Repeat Claims Contrary to the Facts

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) stated on the 16th that, regarding the recent controversy raised by some civic groups over alleged procedural violations in the announcement of the designation of the project operator and approval of the implementation plan for the Sanhwangsan Golf Course urban planning facility project, "This is a legitimate administrative action that fully meets all legal requirements and administrative procedures."

A panoramic view of Goyang Special City Hall. Provided by Goyang Special City.

According to the city, the expansion project for the Sanhwangsan Golf Course was pursued based on the modification of the Green Belt Management Plan, which had already been approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The city explained that the project went through a demand survey conducted by Gyeonggi Province in 2011, an internal review, public notification of the proposal, and an application for approval, ultimately receiving final approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2014.

In addition, the city completed a strategic environmental impact assessment in 2014 through consultation with the Han River Basin Environmental Office, and finished the main environmental impact assessment in 2018. As the validity period of the assessment (five years) expired, a renewed consultation was conducted and completed in 2024, along with a resident briefing session and consultations with relevant departments.

Regarding the claim by some that the location of the water treatment plant was omitted, the city emphasized, "The current status of the Goyang Water Treatment Plant and the Ilsan Water Treatment Plant is already indicated in the assessment report, and their impact was also reviewed." The city added, "A similar public audit request filed by some environmental groups with the Board of Audit and Inspection was also dismissed in all respects."

Concerning the requirements for the designation of the project operator, the city explained, "The consent requirements stipulated by law-consent from at least two-thirds of the land area and at least half of the total landowners-were met," and added, "Accordingly, the designation of the project operator and the announcement of the approval of the implementation plan were carried out legally."

An official from Goyang Special City stated, "This administrative action is the result of a step-by-step administrative process that has been pursued for over ten years, and has been verified by multiple agencies including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Environmental Office, and the Board of Audit and Inspection." The official continued, "Repeating the same claims while disregarding the judgments of external agencies lacks persuasiveness and ultimately only increases public anxiety." The official added, "The city will continue to prioritize the environment and citizen safety, and will pursue legal and fair administration going forward."

Meanwhile, the Board of Audit and Inspection reviewed six items in the public audit request submitted by an environmental civic group in Goyang regarding the expansion of the Spring Hills Golf Course in Goyang: ▲manipulation to reduce the count of resident opinions, ▲reduction and omission of water treatment plant supply population and maps, ▲distortion of the number of houses and housing distance, ▲manipulation of the forest status of Sanhwangsan, ▲failure to address the impact of the golf course, and ▲lack of basis for the use of recycled water from the sewage treatment plant. In April 2019, the Board concluded the case as 'dismissed' in accordance with the regulations for handling public audit requests.

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