56 Regulations Found to Undermine Capital Region Competitiveness

Unreasonable regulations numbering 56 have been found to weaken the competitiveness of the capital region through excessive regulations and contradictions between different levels of laws.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 19th that following reviews of capital region-related regulations by each department, a total of 56 cases have been identified and efforts to amend these regulations are underway.

By department, there were 11 cases in the economy sector, 10 cases in agriculture, 5 cases each in construction and matters related to Paldang Lake, and so on.

The main laws include the Military Installations Protection Act, the Rivers Act, the Special Act on Support for Pyeongtaek and Other Cities Related to the Relocation of U.S. Military Bases in Korea, the Framework Act on Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem Conservation, the Han River Basin Act, and the Local Tax Act.

Notably, Article 18 of the Capital Region Readjustment Plan Act, which covers "Operation and Management Guidelines of the Total Factory Scheme," was identified as requiring urgent standardization, as the applicable target factories differ from those under the "Industrial Complex Activation and Factory Establishment Act."

In response, the province will establish a Capital Region Readjustment Plan Task Force to identify the status of subordinate regulations including enforcement decrees, notices, and guidelines of these laws, establish improvement plans, and actively pursue legislative amendments with the cooperation of local lawmakers.

However, the province plans to pursue gradual improvements targeting underdeveloped areas rather than comprehensive reforms, taking into account potential opposition from non-capital regions regarding capital region regulations, and will focus on developing response strategies and promoting awareness among the public.

A provincial official stated, "Cases such as the rejection of Hynix's factory expansion and restrictions on Shinsegae Chelse distribution complex are representative examples created by unreasonable regulations," and added, "We plan to actively identify and improve irrational and contradictory regulations from the perspective of strengthening national competitiveness."