Building Regulations Eased Around Jeju’s Natural Heritage Sites for the First Time in a Decade

Notice of Adjusted Standards for 12 Provincial Natural Heritage Sites

Height Restriction Regulation Lifted for Dongbaekdongsan and One Other Site

Resident Review Open Until June 5... Practical Improvements Underway

The World Heritage Headquarters of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has prepared and begun the administrative notice of a major adjustment plan, which will significantly ease, for the first time in ten years, the standards for allowing construction activities within the historic and cultural environment conservation areas around 12 provincial-designated natural heritage sites—including Seonheul-ri Dongbaekdongsan. This move aims to preserve the value of natural heritage while also resolving the prolonged inconvenience caused by restrictions on the property rights of nearby residents.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Government Building.

This adjustment is intended to realistically reflect the changes in the surrounding topography and conditions that have occurred since 2016, during which time the region has undergone significant transformation.

The historic and cultural environment conservation area is set within 300 meters from the heritage boundary, and has been subject to stringent, independent criteria when it comes to new building construction, as well as expansion or renovation.

Once this adjustment plan is finalized, the zoning standards for construction activities in some areas closely connected to residents' daily lives—including Seonheul-ri Dongbaekdongsan, the Baekseohyang and Byunsanilyeop communities, and the Sinheung Camellia community—will be upgraded from the current two zones to three zones out of the total 12 sites.

If the maximum building height, which was separately regulated in Zone 2, is relaxed to Zone 3—where general urban planning ordinances and related laws apply—residents will be freed from excessive overlapping regulations. This will allow them to engage in construction activities more freely in line with standard land use plans, leading to a significant improvement in living conditions.

For the remaining 10 sites, including the Geumdeok-muhwanja tree community and the Hackberry tree community, the current heritage protection standards will remain unchanged.

This regulatory relaxation is seen as a cooperative administrative model that flexibly resolves the extreme opposition between the public value of protecting natural heritage and the private right to property through local legislative adjustments. By making land use in mid-mountain villages, which have seen ongoing population inflows and development, more practical, it is also expected to serve as a positive signal for balanced regional development.

The administrative notice period runs until 6:00 p.m. on June 5, 2026, and anyone can review the detailed adjustment maps on the Jeju Provincial Government website under the "Notices and Announcements" section. Residents with opinions may visit the World Heritage Headquarters in person or submit their feedback by mail or fax.

Kim Hyeong-eun, Head of the World Heritage Headquarters, stated, "We have refined the standards to match the environmental changes over the past 10 years," adding, "We will continue self-governance that both preserves natural heritage and reduces the inconveniences faced by residents."

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