Goyang City Resolves Controversy Over Gratuitous Transfer of State-Owned Land Under Ministry of Agriculture in Deogi District Urban Development Project

Gyeonggi Province Responds on Areas Subject to Gratuitous Transfer
Decision Based on "Interpretations of Aerial Photographs"
Goyang City: "The Association Must Promptly Complete Procedures for Residents' Land Ownership Registration"

The long-standing controversy over the gratuitous transfer of state-owned land under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in connection with the Goyang Ilsan Deogi District urban development project has finally been settled.

Exterior view of Goyang Special City Hall. Provided by Goyang Special City.

The city announced that on December 8, it received the final review results from Gyeonggi Province regarding the area of state-owned land under the Ministry of Agriculture within the Deogi District that is subject to gratuitous transfer.

On December 8, Gyeonggi Province finalized that, out of a total of 3,707 square meters of state-owned land under the Ministry of Agriculture in the Deogi District subject to gratuitous transfer negotiations, 2,690 square meters would be subject to gratuitous transfer, while 1,017 square meters would not be included.

Previously, after receiving a request from the association in November 2024 for negotiations on the gratuitous transfer of state-owned land under the Ministry of Agriculture in the Deogi District, Gyeonggi Province, following reviews by related agencies such as Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, and the Public Procurement Service, replied in January that the land was "not subject to gratuitous transfer."

In response, the association raised objections to Gyeonggi Province's opinion, arguing that the authority to negotiate gratuitous transfer lies with Goyang City, and that negotiations had already been completed when the implementation plan was approved in 2007.

To verify the facts, the city re-examined the relevant laws and administrative procedures, and in a press release in September, clarified that under the "Regulations on Delegation and Entrustment of Administrative Authority," the authority to decide on the gratuitous transfer of state-owned property under the Ministry of Agriculture rests with Gyeonggi Province, not Goyang City. In addition, to prevent confusion, the city stated that it would request a final decision from Gyeonggi Province to resolve the controversy.

Subsequently, Gyeonggi Province replied to Goyang City that it is the competent authority for negotiating the gratuitous transfer of state-owned land under the Ministry of Agriculture, and that, except for prior consultation with the Public Procurement Service during renegotiations, Gyeonggi Province would make the final decision on this matter.

Meanwhile, in the case of the Deogi District, the association explained that it was difficult to submit materials verifying the "original status as public facilities," such as cadastral survey results from the time the implementation plan was approved, because the land had already been reformed.

As a result, Gyeonggi Province, Goyang City, and the association agreed to adjust the procedure so that the association would submit "interpretations of aerial photographs" as supplementary materials, and Gyeonggi Province made its final decision based on these materials.

The city emphasized that, with this decision, the areas of state-owned land under the Ministry of Agriculture that are subject and not subject to gratuitous transfer have been finalized, and the association must now promptly and responsibly carry out the remaining administrative procedures. In particular, the city made it clear that the timing of the completion of the Deogi District, which is being promoted through a land readjustment method, depends on the association's ability to secure funds and its commitment to advancing the project.

For residents of the Deogi District to receive their land ownership registration, the association must apply for completion inspection and go through the procedures of public announcement and registration of the land readjustment disposition.

Currently, the association has not yet presented specific plans for securing the essential funds required for completion, such as monetary settlement payments to related institutions including the Ministry of National Defense, settlement payments for insufficient land readjustment, and land readjustment registration costs. As a result, the administrative procedures necessary for residents to obtain land ownership registration are also being delayed.

A city official stated, "With this decision on gratuitous transfer, a major uncertainty in the project has been resolved, so the association's responsible commitment to advancing the project is more important than ever. We hope the association will actively carry out the completion procedures so that the long-standing restrictions on residents' property rights can be lifted as soon as possible. The city will also provide administrative support to the extent possible."

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