Greenbelt on Cheongju to Be Removed at the End of January

Cheongju and Cheongwon-Gun vicinity will be released from the limited development district (greenbelt area) at the end of January.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation (MCT) announced that it deliberated over the 180.1 km greenbelt region in Cheongju and decided to remove the greenbelt zoning via the Central City Planning Committee on the 11th. The removal will go into effect around the end of this month after it is reported in the official gazette.

The greenbelt on Cheongju area, which was set up in June 1973, will finally be released after 28 years. This is the 3rd release of a greenbelt zone after Jeju aand Chuncheon areas among 7 potential targets of greenbelt removal in the country. The residents in Cheongju greenbelt area number 27,160 persons or 8,100 families.

The MCT announced that it will set up preservative greenbelt and productive greenbelt zones (64.4 percent of the released area) on the area whose environment is worth preserving, while development of land with 15 degree incline will be restricted by the city planning regulations.

The MCT is likely to release other greenbelt zones in Yeosu, Jeonju, Jinju and Tongyeong in the first half of this year.

Ja-Ryong Koo bonhong@donga.com