South Korea Streamlines Cultural Heritage Development Process, Reducing Permit Time to 10 Days

South Korean Parliament Passes National Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Act to Simplify Development Permit Process

The South Korean parliament has successfully passed the “National Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Act” on October 25th. The new law aims to streamline the development permit process for areas surrounding national cultural heritage sites, reducing processing time from a minimum of 40 days to just 10 days.

Simplifying Development Permit Process

The previous regulations required developers to comply with multiple laws and undergo separate procedures for cultural heritage distribution confirmation and impact assessment for cultural heritage conservation. This often led to lengthy processing times, with the Cultural Heritage Committee taking a minimum of 40 days and sometimes up to 100 days for review.

However, with the passage of the “National Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Act,” these regulations will be integrated into a single “National Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment.” This consolidation will significantly expedite the development permit process, reducing the processing time to just 10 days for development permit applications.

Preserving Cultural Heritage Value

The new law aims to prevent damage to the value of national cultural heritage by facilitating efficient and responsible development. The Cultural Heritage Administration will conduct systematic preservation and management by investigating and diagnosing the impact of development activities on national cultural heritage.

The Cultural Heritage Administration also plans to alleviate public inconvenience caused by processing delays. To achieve this, the government will conduct pre-impact consultations before formulating large-scale development plans.

Implementation and Future Outlook

The National Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Act is expected to be fully implemented from 2025 after going through the necessary legislative processes. Once in effect, the streamlined development permit processes will ensure the preservation of South Korea’s rich cultural heritage while promoting efficiency and accountability in development activities.

Overall, the passage of the “National Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Act” marks a significant step forward in simplifying the development permit process for areas surrounding national cultural heritage sites. The reduction of processing time to 10 days will enable efficient and responsible development, ensuring the preservation of South Korea’s diverse cultural heritage.