Suwon-Hwaseong Dispute Over Sindong District Administrative Boundary Adjustment

As Suwon City and Hwaseong City have decided to include Hwaseong City's Banjeong-dong administrative area in the Sindong District urban development project, an administrative boundary adjustment between the two cities appears unavoidable. However, it is pointed out that while both cities acknowledge the necessity of administrative boundary adjustment, they are engaged in a war of nerves without finding common ground for consultation.

According to Suwon City and Hwaseong City on the 16th, the two cities decided in November of last year to include Hwaseong City's Banjeong-dong administrative area of 44,374 ㎡ within the Sindong District (251,666 ㎡·1,522 households), which was designated as an urban development zone using the land readjustment method.

Accordingly, Hwaseong City submitted the "Hwaseong 2020 Basic Urban Plan Amendment" to the province, changing the land use of this site from existing conservation land to planned urbanization land, and received approval on the 15th of last month.

The Sindong District, which was on the verge of being developed in a deformed structure resembling a fan lying on its side with one corner cut off, has now regained its proper form. Suwon City is proceeding with a new service for designating zones and establishing basic plans, including the existing project site of 251,666 ㎡ and Banjeong-dong's 44,374 ㎡, and plans to complete the project by 2012.

In particular, since the living sphere has become tied to the Sindong District, Suwon City has proposed administrative boundary adjustment plans to Hwaseong City three times since 2006 to incorporate Hwaseong City's administrative area that will be included in the development zone into Suwon City.

However, Hwaseong City refused. In June 2007 and January of last year, Suwon City again proposed to Hwaseong City that they exchange administrative areas such as Jangji-dong, Gosaeok-dong, and Bansong-dong, but this was also rejected.

A Suwon City official stated, "Hwaseong City has not yet provided an official response to the proposal," and added, "We will design the facilities so they do not overlap at the boundary to prevent inconvenience to residents due to different administrative jurisdictions."

Meanwhile, Hwaseong City, while accepting that administrative boundary incorporation is inevitable, expressed discomfort with Suwon City's unilateral notification of incorporation, insisting that finding reasonable alternatives should be prioritized.

A Hwaseong City official stated, "Administrative boundary adjustment is not something that ends with sending a document or two—Suwon City has sent official letters 2-3 times without any concrete consultation," and added, "Serious discussion on problems arising from administrative boundary incorporation and reasonable procedures should take priority."

As the two cities engage in such wasteful disputes, the damage inevitably falls on the residents affected, making immediate countermeasures urgent.

Since the development plan for Sindong District has been delayed by more than a year due to the inclusion of Hwaseong City's Banjeong-dong administrative area, which was initially excluded from the zone designation, it appears that common ground must be found promptly to prevent disruption to the urban development project.