Environmental groups in South Korea are protesting an administrative integration law they claim will enable widespread development at the expense of the environment.
As discussions about administrative integration among metropolitan local governments intensify ahead of the upcoming June 3 local elections, civic and environmental groups in South Korea are vehemently criticizing a related special law currently under review by the National Assembly. They argue that the law represents an unchecked development special law that would destroy the country's environment by granting local government leaders excessive authority over development projects and environmental impact assessments. This has raised alarms among 369 civic organizations and 43 environmental groups, who protest that the proposal is disguised as a means for 'local empowerment' and 'administrative efficiency,' when in fact, it threatens sustainable future development.
On June 11, these organizations held a press conference outside the National Assembly to voice their concerns and demand the abolition of dangerous development provisions embedded in the special law. They accused the lawmakers of rushing the special laws related to administrative integration in the regions of Chungcheongnam-do, Jeonnam, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk. The groups outlined specific demands, calling for the removal of provisions that would undermine environmental protection, the establishment of sustainable decentralized governance strategies, and initiating discussions with civil society to foster community-based dialogues about the future of the regions.
The critiques raised include significant problems tied to the proposed special law, especially the transfer of authority over environmental assessments to the special mayor who would be overseeing the administrative integration. This could effectively nullify environmental regulations as the special mayor would control the approval process of development projects, rendering environmental assessments insignificant. The consequences of similar laws in other regions, like those in Gangwon-do, have already shown a rapid advancement of developmental projects, such as new cable car operations, which further bolsters the fears surrounding the newly proposed integration laws potentially loosening environmental protections in favor of expedient development,
