[Exclusive] Geochang County’s Quarry Development Permit Revocation Overturned by Court

Court: "Assessment of Whether Legal Requirements Were Met Was Insufficient"

The court has overturned the decision by Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, to revoke a quarry development permit for Company A.

The court sided with Jusang Enterprise, stating that the county’s decision to revoke the permit lacked sufficient assessment of whether legal requirements were met.

The Administrative Division 1 of the Changwon District Court recently ruled in favor of Jusang Enterprise in its lawsuit against the Geochang County Governor, seeking to nullify the permit revocation for quarry development. As a result, the permit revocation issued by Geochang County at the end of 2023 has lost its effect.

Photo by Changwon District Court

In its ruling, the court stated, "Some of the reasons presented by the county for the revocation lack objective evidence, and procedural flaws are also recognized," adding, "Administrative actions must be based on clear facts and due process of law."

It was also pointed out that the hearing process for Jusang Enterprise during the permit revocation was conducted only in a perfunctory manner.

A county official commented, "The decision to revoke the permit was made in accordance with laws and procedures," and added, "We will closely review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal."

Meanwhile, while this ruling increases the likelihood that Jusang Enterprise’s quarry development project will resume, controversy remains over potential environmental impacts and continued opposition from local residents.

Some residents urged for countermeasures, expressing concerns that if the county’s revocation is rendered invalid and the project resumes, it could lead to environmental damage.

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