Gunsan in North Jeolla State has been designated the local government with jurisdiction over the Saemangeum New Port landfill, ending a bitter turf battle among neighboring municipalities.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 7th that its Central Dispute Mediation Committee had reached the decision at a meeting covering the offshore landfill and breakwaters built for the Saemangeum New Port project.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is investing 3.7049 trillion won in the port project, which will build wharves, breakwaters and support complexes across about 5.49 square kilometers of sea in front of the second Saemangeum seawall by 2040. The ministry aims to strengthen the industrial competitiveness of the Saemangeum area and develop a hub port for the Yellow Sea rim. The jurisdiction decision covers a section where reclamation has been completed, which will be used for berthing and management wharves, access roads, breakwaters and fishing boat shelters.
The review began in January when the head of the Gunsan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries asked the interior ministry to determine jurisdiction over the landfill. Gunsan, Gimje and Buan county each submitted their positions, and the committee opened deliberations in February. Competition among the local governments has been fierce because jurisdiction is directly tied to development of the port's hinterland and to attracting companies, and thus to the region's future growth.
The committee held seven rounds of deliberations and one site visit, hearing from the three municipalities as well as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Gunsan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, the Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency and North Jeolla State. It ruled unanimously in favor of Gunsan after weighing the criteria set out in Supreme Court rulings, including efficient use of the new land, adjacency to surrounding areas, the location of natural terrain and man-made structures, administrative efficiency and convenience for residents, and the losses caused by reclamation.
In an unusual step, the committee attached to its decision a call for the municipalities to avoid confrontation and instead work through consultation and cooperation so that Saemangeum can grow into a global hub for new industries, citing the repeated disputes among local governments in the area.
Once the interior ministry notifies the local governments concerned, the municipality with jurisdiction will register and manage the area in the cadastral records after a completion inspection of the landfill. Local governments that object to the decision may file suit with the Supreme Court within 15 days of notification, leaving room for the jurisdiction dispute to continue.
