Southern Gyeonggi Province Mayors' Association Agrees to Cooperate on Water Quality Pollution Survey

The Southern Gyeonggi Province Mayors' Association (Chairman Yeom Tae-young, Mayor of Suwon) held a meeting on the 16th at Uiwang City Hall and adopted three proposals, including clarifying the scope of impact zones for food waste recycling facilities, standardizing regulations for resident ID card photos, and cooperation among seven cities for conducting a survey of water quality pollution sources in the southern Gyeonggi region.

Unlike incineration facilities and landfill sites, food waste recycling facilities lack defined regulations regarding their surrounding impact areas, leading to continuous complaints from nearby residents. The association decided to propose to the government that food waste recycling facilities should also have their indirect impact zone range clarified as 300 meters to 1 kilometer from the facility.

Additionally, the association decided to propose to Gyeonggi Province and central government ministries that the Resident Registration Act Enforcement Ordinance, like the Passport Act, should stipulate that photos must show "white background with ears visible."

The current Resident Registration Act Enforcement Ordinance, unlike the Passport Act, lacks clear regulations regarding background color and facial exposure, making it difficult for residents to determine compliance standards. This has led to criticism that resident ID cards that are difficult to verify can still be issued, necessitating improvement.

The association also reached consensus on seven cities making joint efforts to survey water quality pollution sources in the Jinwi Stream water system, including Wangsong and Singal Reservoirs and Hwangguji Stream.

Meanwhile, the Southern Gyeonggi Province Administrative Cooperation Council was established in October 2007 by seven cities—Suwon, Anseong, Osan, Yongin, Uiwang, Pyeongtaek, and Hwaseong—to facilitate administrative cooperation among themselves, resolve inter-regional conflicts, and promote efficient metropolitan area administration. The council operates on a quarterly basis.