Jurisdiction Over Saemangeum New Port Reclaimed Land Assigned to Gunsan-si: "Urging Cooperation Over Conflict"

Central Disputes Mediation Committee Unanimously Assigns Jurisdiction to Gunsan-si
Reclaimed Site to Be Used for Port Facilities and Fishing Vessel Protection
Supreme Court Appeals Permitted Within 15 Days of Decision

The jurisdiction over part of the reclaimed land at Saemangeum New Port has been assigned to Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province.

On September 7, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the Central Disputes Mediation Committee for Local Governments (the Committee) had unanimously decided, after seven rounds of deliberation, to assign jurisdiction over the reclaimed marine land and breakwater areas in the Saemangeum New Port Development Project to Gunsan-si.

Hwang Jongwoo, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, inspecting the Jeonbuk Saemangeum New Port development project site. Photo by Yonhap News

The area whose jurisdiction was determined this time comprises a section of completed reclaimed land at Saemangeum New Port, which is being constructed to strengthen Saemangeum's industrial competitiveness and foster it as a key port in the Yellow Sea Rim. The reclaimed site will be used for port berthing facilities, management piers, access roads, breakwaters, and fishing vessel protection facilities.

Under Article 5 of the Local Autonomy Act, decisions on the jurisdiction of reclaimed land begin with applications from either the reclamation licensing authority or the relevant local government leaders. If there are no objections to the application, the Minister of the Interior and Safety makes a decision according to the submission. If there is disagreement among local governments, the Committee reviews and adopts a resolution to determine jurisdiction.

Earlier, in January of this year, the head of Gunsan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Office submitted an application to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety regarding jurisdiction over the reclaimed land. Subsequently, Gunsan-si, Gimje-si, and Buan-gun each submitted their opinions on the jurisdictional decision, and the Committee's deliberations began in February.

The Committee held a total of seven meetings and one site visit, during which they listened to the opinions of the mayors, deputy mayors, and relevant officials of the three cities and counties involved in the jurisdictional dispute. The Committee also heard the views of related agencies such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Gunsan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Office, Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency, and Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, all of whom are responsible for the management of Saemangeum New Port.

After comprehensive consideration of various factors cited in Supreme Court precedents—including efficient utilization of new land, adjacency and connection to surrounding areas, natural topography and location of artificial structures, administrative efficiency and convenience for residents, and benefits lost due to reclamation—the Committee unanimously decided to assign jurisdiction over the reclaimed site to Gunsan-si.

The Committee has also urged neighboring areas around Saemangeum to avoid conflicts and, instead, to foster cooperation and collaboration so that Saemangeum can grow into South Korea's global hub for new industries.

Once the Ministry of the Interior and Safety notifies the relevant local governments of the decision, the local government in question will conduct a completion inspection and register and manage the land in the cadastral record. Any local government objecting to the result may file a lawsuit with the Supreme Court within 15 days of receiving the notification.

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