Kim Mi-ae Proposes Bill to Establish National Management System for Policy Migration Areas

Act on the Management of Policy Migration Areas and Improvement of Residential Environment

Mi-ae Kim, a member of the People Power Party, has proposed a bill aimed at managing and improving the living environment of "policy migrant settlements" formed during public policy processes at the national level.

On March 18, Assemblywoman Kim announced that she had sponsored the "Act on Management and Improvement of Living Environment in Policy Migrant Settlements." Policy migrant settlements refer to residential areas or housing complexes formed when residents collectively relocate according to national or local government policies, such as public projects, urban redevelopment, or reconstruction initiatives.

Until now, policy migrant settlements have often lacked adequate infrastructure and living support measures in their early stages, resulting in ongoing issues such as deteriorating residential environments, safety vulnerabilities, an increase in vacant houses, and insufficient social overhead capital (SOC) for daily life. In particular, Banyeo 2 and 3-dong and Bansong-dong in Haeundae District, Busan—which is Assemblywoman Kim's constituency—are representative policy migrant settlements, where poor residential conditions persist due to small lot sizes, a concentration of aging houses, and lack of essential infrastructure.

Mi-ae Kim, Member of the People Power Party (Busan Haeundae-eul). Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Policy migrant settlements are not confined to specific regions. Currently, they are distributed across 47 districts in seven cities, including Busan, Seoul, Seongnam, Gwangju, Ulsan, Changwon, and Pohang, with Busan accounting for 18 districts, or approximately 38% of the total.

However, there have been ongoing concerns that the absence of a legal definition and a national-level management system for policy migrant settlements has resulted in limitations, with improvements in the living environment depending on the fiscal capacity of each local government.

This bill designates policy migrant settlements as areas to be managed at the national level and establishes a systematic support framework.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be required to establish a basic plan every five years, with local governments preparing implementation plans based on this. The bill also introduces a nationwide fact-finding survey and designation system, and includes the legal basis for projects to improve the living environment, such as vacant house maintenance, infrastructure expansion, and enhancement of daily life SOC.

Additionally, the bill provides for support for phased relocation and temporary housing, as well as documentation and research on the formation process of policy migrant settlements. It clearly defines the roles of the central and local governments, and allows the state to provide administrative and financial support.

Furthermore, a Policy Migrant Settlement Management and Support Committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be established to review and coordinate the designation of settlements, basic plans, and performance evaluations. The bill also mandates procedures for collecting residents' opinions, and requires the creation of a management register to document the status of settlements and the progress of improvement projects.

Assemblywoman Kim stated, "Policy migrant settlements are not the result of individual choices, but rather the outcome of public policy processes," emphasizing, "The government must establish a responsible management system." She added, "Through this bill, I aim to contribute to improving residents' quality of life and reducing regional disparities."

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