Hwaseong City Tightens Licensing Standards for Scrap Dealers...Industry Backlash

As Hwaseong City announced amendments to the operational guidelines for development permits related to scrap dealers, the industry is strongly opposed, claiming the measures threaten their livelihoods.

On the 23rd of last month, Hwaseong City amended the operational guidelines for development permits for scrap dealers and announced legislative notice after strengthening standards for location restrictions, infrastructure, landscape, and hazard prevention.

In response, approximately 300 scrap dealers operating in the city and the Resource Recycling Solidarity held a protest meeting at 2 p.m. on the 9th in front of City Hall, demanding "withdrawal of the announced operational guidelines" after forming an emergency response committee.

At the protest meeting, attended by about 80 people, the emergency response committee stated, "Regulating scrap dealers related to the survival rights of low-income people is threatening human dignity itself," adding, "We will hold protest meetings until the announced operational guidelines are withdrawn."

Ahn, chair of the emergency response committee, said, "If scrap dealers are pushed out of urban areas and moved to peripheral regions according to the operational guidelines, people with low incomes who make a living by collecting scrap will become even more impoverished," pointing out that the guidelines "lack consideration of reality."

Ahn asserted, "The city says the operational guidelines apply only to new business operators, but later they will be applied to existing operators as well."

Regarding this, a city official explained, "The operational guidelines apply only to new business operators, not existing operators," and stated, "The operational guidelines are absolutely necessary to prevent pleasant urban aesthetics and environmental pollution."

Meanwhile, the emergency response committee plans to hold another protest meeting at 2 p.m. on the 12th, the last day of the legislative notice period, in front of City Hall.