Hanam Gam-il District Fully Opens After 15 Years as Phase 4 Handover Completed

Neungancheon and Seobucheon Riverside Parks and Retention Basin Sports Facilities Now Open to Citizens
Sports Facilities to Operate from Late April... Full Opening of All Sections

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province has completed the handover process for the 'Phase 4 section,' which was the final phase of the Gam-il Public Housing District Development Project, and from the 10th, the section has been fully opened to citizens. With this, the entire Gam-il District development project, which began in 2010, has been handed over to Hanam City after 15 years, enabling systematic and integrated management.

Hanam City has completed the handover procedure for the 'Phase 4 Section,' the final stage of the Gam-il Public Housing District Development Project, and fully opened the section to citizens starting from the 10th. Photo by Hanam City

The newly opened Phase 4 section includes major infrastructure such as the Neungancheon and Seobucheon riverside parks, retention basins No. 1 through 4, as well as communication and environmental facilities.

Hanam City, together with the project implementers including Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) and the Hyundai Engineering & Construction consortium, conducted joint inspections to comprehensively review the safety and convenience of the facilities.

As a result of these inspections, 265 out of a total of 286 issues identified—including those directly related to safety—have been resolved or are currently being addressed, and minor issues that do not affect usage will continue to be addressed even after the opening.

On the afternoon of the first day of opening, the 10th, Hanam Mayor Lee Hyunjae, relevant city officials, representatives from the Gam-il General Association, and representatives from each complex's residents' council—about 20 citizens in total—participated in an on-site inspection.

The participants started at the upstream point of Neungancheon in front of the Gami-dong Fire Station and walked downstream, directly checking the management status and safety of the facilities.

Going forward, Hanam City plans to further improve citizen convenience by installing additional facilities such as a wooden bridge over Neungancheon and restrooms within the retention basins. These facilities will be constructed with costs covered by LH, while Hanam City will handle the design and development, with the details to be finalized through a separate agreement.

In addition, sports facilities within the retention basins—including a foot volleyball court, futsal field, gateball court, and basketball court—will begin full operation from the end of April after a reservation system is established to ensure smooth usage.

A city official from Hanam stated, "With the completion of the handover of the entire Gam-il District, the efficiency of managing urban infrastructure is expected to be further enhanced," adding, "We will continue to do our best to expand citizen-centered urban infrastructure and create a safe urban environment."

Meanwhile, following the revision of the 'Guidelines for Land Development Project Management' (effective May 20, 2024), it has become possible to hand over and take over public facilities under Article 65 of the 'National Land Planning and Utilization Act' regardless of whether the items identified during joint inspections have been addressed. As a result, some operational limitations have been observed on-site.

The current system has the advantage of allowing prompt handover and opening of public facilities, but if the handover is completed before all identified issues have been resolved, there are concerns that the responsibilities for maintenance and defect repairs may become unclear. Additionally, delays in coordination with project implementers could result in administrative inefficiency and inconvenience for citizens.

Accordingly, Hanam City believes there is a need to improve relevant laws and guidelines to clarify minimum implementation standards for addressing issues identified during joint inspections when handing over and taking over public facilities, as well as to specify the timing and responsible parties for addressing remaining issues after the handover.

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