Urgent Need for School Property Protection Measures

Recent cases of school property being incorporated into urban planning projects and land development projects without sufficient consultation have become increasingly common, and it has been found that related agencies need to promptly establish countermeasures as educational environments continue to deteriorate.

The Citizens' Complaints Committee frequently receives collective grievances regarding school property owned by education offices and educational foundations that needs protection due to potential future expansion for school facilities, but such protection has not been implemented.

For example, in the case of Dongduk Women's University in Seoul, school property was incorporated into another urban planning facility (park), which prevented the university from obtaining approval to construct new dormitories for provincial students. Shinjeong High School in Ulsan also filed a complaint with the Citizens' Complaints Committee, stating that part of the school property was incorporated into an urban planning project area, resulting in narrower main gates and athletic fields, with increased vehicle traffic in front of the main gate threatening student safety.

In response, the Citizens' Complaints Committee recently requested cooperation from each provincial education office to prepare urban planning proposals so that school property can be promptly designated as urban planning facilities, taking into account current usage status and future expansion possibilities. The committee also requested that relevant administrative agencies collaborate in protecting school property to the maximum extent possible when implementing various development projects, and to ensure that excessive financial burdens do not arise.