HONGSEONG — South Chungcheong Province said on the 25th that 15 of its islands have been newly designated as zones requiring government permission for land transactions by foreigners.
The provincial government said the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport pushed the measure to preemptively manage outlying islands deemed important for national defense and strategic purposes. Of 353 islands nationwide, 15 islands across four cities and counties in South Chungcheong — Boryeong, Seosan, Dangjin and Taean — were included.
The newly designated area in the province totals 1,935 lots, or about 6.5 square kilometers. By region, the breakdown is: one island in Boryeong (Hwang Island) with 12 lots; nine islands in Dangjin, including Daenanji Island, with 1,907 lots; three islands in Seosan, including Hang Island, with 13 lots; and two islands in Taean, East Gyeongnyeolbi Island and North Gyeongnyeolbi Island, with three lots.
With this designation, South Chungcheong's foreign land-transaction permission zones for defense purposes have expanded from one existing site, West Gyeokbi Island in Taean, to a total of 16 islands.
Foreigners seeking to acquire land within the permission zones must obtain approval from the relevant mayor or county head before signing a land acquisition contract. When deciding whether to grant approval, the mayor or county head must consult with related administrative agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense and the National Intelligence Service, and will permit land acquisition only if it does not undermine the purpose of the designation.
If a land acquisition contract is signed without approval, the contract is void, and violators may face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won ($14,400) under the relevant laws.
"Standards for managing foreign land transactions in the province's major island areas have been significantly strengthened," said Lim Taek-bin, head of the provincial land and spatial policy division.
