Jeong Heeyong Proposes the “Three Park Golf Promotion Bills”

On the 24th, National Assembly member Jeong Heeyong (People Power Party, Goryeong County, Seongju County and Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang) sponsored what is being called the "Three Park Golf Promotion Bills" (partial amendments to the Sports Facilities Act, the River Act and the Act on Special Measures for Designated Green Belt Areas) to promote park golf.

Jeong Heeyong, Member of the National Assembly (People Power Party, Goryeong County, Seongju County and Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang) / Reporter Kim Ihwan

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Recently, demand for park golf has surged, especially among older adults, and it is rapidly spreading as a form of daily sports, but criticism has been raised that the pace of infrastructure expansion has not kept up. In response, Assemblyman Jeong stated that he prepared these amendments to rationally improve related regulations, strengthen the basis for public support, and thereby promote the establishment of park golf courses. The main contents of the Three Park Golf Promotion Bills are as follows.

▲ Amendment to the Sports Facilities Act

Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the current Sports Facilities Act stipulates that the state and local governments shall install and operate daily sports facilities that citizens can easily use near their places of residence.

The amendment clearly specifies in the law the basis for establishing park golf courses by adding a new provision stating that "the state and local governments may install and operate park golf courses as prescribed by Presidential Decree to promote daily sports for citizens." It also introduces a new support provision stating that "the state and local governments may provide administrative and financial support necessary for the establishment and operation of park golf courses."

▲ Amendment to the River Act

Article 33, Paragraph 1 of the current Act requires any person who intends to newly construct structures or similar within a river zone to obtain an occupancy permit from the river management authority. Accordingly, park golf courses, where the installation of structures is minimized, are still subject to the same river occupancy permit procedures as ordinary structures.

The amendment provides that, when applying for an occupancy permit for the installation of eco-friendly sports facilities such as park golf courses, if the river management authority recognizes that the scale and nature of the facilities have only a minor impact on the river, it may simplify the occupancy permit procedures or process them expeditiously.

▲ Amendment to the Act on Special Measures for Designated Green Belt Areas

Article 12, Paragraph 1 of the current Act stipulates that facilities that can help maintain and conserve designated green belt areas, such as parks, green spaces, outdoor sports facilities and small-scale indoor sports facilities, may be installed within such areas with the permission of the head of the local government.

However, the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Special Measures for Designated Green Belt Areas specifies volleyball courts, tennis courts, badminton courts and gateball courts as outdoor sports facilities, but does not separately stipulate park golf courses. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has issued an authoritative interpretation that park golf courses fall under "similar sports facilities that are exercise facilities not accompanied by the construction of buildings" within the scope of outdoor sports facilities, and on that basis allows their installation within designated green belt areas.

The amendment clarifies that park golf courses are outdoor sports facilities that may be installed within designated green belt areas with the permission of the head of the local government by adding an explanatory parenthetical to "outdoor sports facilities," which are currently specified in the law as facilities that can be installed in such areas, so that it reads "outdoor sports facilities (including park golf courses and other sports facilities prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)."

Assemblyman Jeong stated, "Park golf is a form of daily sports that not only improves the health of older adults but also expands communication between generations," and emphasized, "Given that infrastructure expansion is lagging behind the pace of popularization, we will establish a more systematic support framework through the Three Park Golf Promotion Bills." He added, "We will spare no legislative support so that park golf can firmly establish itself as a national sport enjoyed by all generations together."

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