Extinct Fishermen of Woongdong 1 District Demand Fulfillment of Development Rights Promise for Livelihood Support Land

FEZ Authority: "Top Priority, Commitment Will Be Fulfilled"

Fishermen who came to own livelihood support land due to the loss of their fishing rights as a result of the Woongdong 1 District development project in Jinhae, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province, have called for changes to the development plan for the livelihood support land and the normalization of the project with a focus on fishermen's interests.

On May 20, the Jinhe-UiChang Extinct Fishermen's Association held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center, stating, "Although the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority announced a normalization plan for the Woongdong 1 District last May, nothing has been achieved regarding guarantees for development rights on the livelihood support land, subdivision of the land, or granting the status of project implementer."

The Association of Disappearing Fishermen in Jinhae and Uichang, Changwon City, Gyeongnam, is holding a press conference regarding the development of a livelihood measure site as part of the development project in Ungdong District 1.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They added, "It was promised that, by April this year, the association would be granted the status of project implementer through subdivision of the district, enabling us to independently develop the livelihood support land, but this has not been fulfilled to date. For more than 28 years, fishermen have been waiting, but the administration keeps telling us to wait until the end of 2027 or 2028, which leaves more than 1,500 affected fishermen deeply outraged."

They continued, "With no income at present, we have been paying about 240 million won a year in property and comprehensive real estate taxes by taking out loans. How can this be called a livelihood support measure?" they appealed.

The association also demanded that guarantees for development rights to the livelihood support land and measures for securing substantial rights be clearly presented in writing with specific timelines.

They also called for a comprehensive review of the Woongdong 1 District development plan and urged the establishment of a rational normalization plan centered on the affected fishermen.

They requested disclosure of the reasons for suspending the public recruitment of project implementers, the process for reappointing Gyeongnam Development Corporation, the contents of the agreement with Changwon City, and the background for directly operating the golf course.

They further demanded a public apology from the Governor of Gyeongnam Province and other responsible parties, and requested that the newly constituted provincial government and provincial council following the June 3 local elections conduct a thorough review of the Woongdong 1 District development plan.

Development site of Ungdong 1 District, Jinhae District, Changwon City, Gyeongnam Province. [Photo by Changwon Special City]

The Woongdong 1 District development project in Jinhae was launched to utilize dredged soil from the construction of Busan New Port to reclaim 2.25 million square meters of sea area around Sudodong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, for the establishment of accommodations, leisure, and resort facilities.

In this process, fishermen who lost their fishing rights received 220,000 square meters, or 10% of the Woongdong 1 District site, as livelihood support land.

However, the affected fishermen were unable to exercise rights such as independent development or sale because, although they owned the land, they were not designated as project implementers and thus had no development rights.

Previously, in May last year, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, Changwon City, and Gyeongnam Development Corporation announced a normalization agreement for the Woongdong 1 District development project. The agreement included granting the affected fishermen the status of project implementer to allow independent development, and outlined a plan to change the development plan and subdivide the project land by April 2026.

After construction began in November 2013, the project stalled after only a golf course was completed in December 2017. To normalize the long-delayed project, Gyeongnam Development Corporation, which had lost its status as project implementer due to its responsibility for the delay, was once again appointed as the sole implementer by administrative authority.

Regarding the press conference, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority stated, "We are pursuing normalization of the Woongdong 1 District project based on legal and administrative legitimacy, and are continuously communicating to secure the substantial rights of the affected fishermen."

They further explained, "We are making multifaceted efforts to guarantee development rights and secure rights for the fishermen's livelihood support land. We have planned and reviewed ways to subdivide the district and grant implementer status, and proposed securing priority rights through partial completion, but were unable to proceed due to opposition from the association."

The authority also reported that, at the kickoff meeting for the 'basic concept and feasibility study' held in April, they agreed with the association that specific opinions and plans regarding additional or changed permissible uses requested by the association would be submitted during the study process.

They emphasized that the reason for reappointing Gyeongnam Development Corporation as the sole implementer was to resolve structural issues arising from the existing co-implementer system with Changwon City and to establish a responsible project foundation, and that legal and procedural legitimacy was secured through court and Board of Audit and Inspection decisions.

Park Seongho, Commissioner of the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, stated, "We are prioritizing the normalization of the Woongdong 1 District as our top task, and are realizing responsible administration by completing changes to the development plan ahead of schedule. We will continue active communication through public consultations and meetings to ensure the project proceeds without disruption, and we will fulfill our commitment to begin construction in 2029 and complete it in 2032."

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