Hwaseong City Drastically Shortens Approval Process for Large-Scale Buildings... Accelerates Push for Business-Friendly City

"Special Act on the Support of Special Cities" Passes the National Assembly
Independent Building Permits Without Prior Provincial Approval
Faster Administration for Large-Scale Buildings Over 51 Stories or 200,000 sqm
Boosting Corporate Investment Expected

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province is accelerating its efforts to create a business-friendly city by significantly shortening the approval process for large-scale buildings, following the National Assembly's passage of the "Special Act on the Support of Special Cities."

View of Hwaseong Special City Hall. Provided by Hwaseong City

According to Hwaseong City on May 20, the "Special Act on the Support of Special Cities," which passed the National Assembly on May 7, allows special cities to independently grant building permits for large-scale buildings—those with 51 stories or more or a total floor area of at least 200,000 square meters—without obtaining prior approval from the governor of Gyeonggi Province, as was previously required.

Until now, large-scale buildings had to undergo a prior approval process by the provincial governor during licensing, which often led to prolonged administrative processing times. However, with this institutional improvement, Hwaseong Special City will be able to directly exercise permitting authority, enabling streamlined procedures and shorter processing periods.

This law will take effect one year after promulgation and is set to be fully applied around mid-May 2027.

Hwaseong City expects that this policy change will have a positive impact on boosting corporate investment and strengthening industrial competitiveness.

Hwaseong City, which is home to global companies such as Hyundai Motor, Kia, Samsung Electronics, and ASML, anticipates that this institutional improvement will have tangible effects on attracting companies and revitalizing investment. For large-scale industrial facilities, office complexes, and mixed-use development projects, delays in the licensing process can significantly affect business viability; thus, reducing prior approval procedures is expected to directly lower the time costs for companies.

Jung Myung-jo, head of the architecture division, stated, "This institutional improvement will be an opportunity to enhance the speed and accuracy of administrative processing, based on the autonomy and accountability befitting a special city," adding, "We will make shortening processing times in the field of building permits—which is directly linked to business activities and citizens' lives—a key priority, and will pursue prompt and responsible administration."

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