Country Profile
The Republic of Korea covers almost half of the Korean Peninsula and is about one fourth the size of Japan. Its geographical features are similar to those of Japan in that it is mountainous: about 70% of the country is covered by mountainous terrain.
The end of Second World War saw the stationing of Soviet and U.S. troops on the north and south sides of the 38th parallel, which marked the beginning of a process that split the country into two. In August of 1948 a government was established in the south (the Republic of Korea). The following month saw the formation of a separate government in the north (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).
Despite the implementation of Comprehensive National Territorial Plans reflecting policies designed to prevent overconcentration of the population in the capital, the concentration problem in and around Seoul has continued, leading to traffic congestion, skyrocketing land and housing prices, environmental problems, and other concerns related to overcrowding.
The Republic of Korea (hereinafter simply "Korea") has achieved a remarkable level of economic growth, yet the economic disparities between different regions and between large, medium, and small-sized urban areas remain unresolved. The presence of deviations by region in major development indicators has become a serious issue.
Map of Korea
Sources: Research Institute for Urban & Environmental Development, Japan
| Country name | Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Surface area | About 100,033 km² (roughly 45% of the Korean Peninsula, and a quarter the size of Japan) |
| Population | About 48.87 million(2010) |
| Population density | 487/km²(2008) |
| Percentage of urban population | 83.0%(2010) |
| GDP (nominal) | USD 1,014,500 million dollars(2010) |
| GNI per capita | USD 20,759(2010) |
| Percentage of employment by industry | Primary industry: 7.2% Secondary industry: 24.6% Tertiary industry: 68.3%(2008) |
| Economic growth rate | 6.2%(2010) |
Local Governments and Spatial Planning System
Local governments can be divided into provincial-level municipalities, city-level municipalities, and lower administrative units.
In terms of planning systems related to spatial policy, Korea has a system of Five-Year Plans for Balanced National Development, which consists of socioeconomic development plans, and Comprehensive National Territorial Plans, which amount to spatial plans.
The Comprehensive National Territorial Plans are paralleled by comprehensive plans at the provincial and city levels. This planning system was instituted with the passage of the Act on Planning and Use of National Territory of 2002.
Source: "2008 Annual report on the planning and use of national territory", Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs, Korea
Major Authorities Relating to Spatial Policy
| Program name or administrative field |
Organizations | Webpage |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive National Territorial Plan | Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs | http://www.mltm.go.kr/intro.do |
| Capital Area Development Plan | Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs | http://www.mltm.go.kr/intro.do |
Outline of planning system for balanced national development
Since 1962, Korea has established five-year plan for economic development as an upper level plan for national socio-economic development, which counted up to the 7th Plan.
Replacing this, Roh Moo-hyun administration established Special Act for Balanced National Development and formulated Five-Year Plan for Balanced National Development (2004-2008).
The act was amended under Lee Myung-bak administration (2009-2013) in order to contribute to balanced regional development by improving regional competitiveness and living standard through development that suits regional character and promoting inter-regional cooperation and partnership. The administration also set up three specific zones (basic living zone, wide-area economic zone and super-wide living zone) and established "Five-year Plan for Balanced Regional Development". The plan sets out the following issues;
- 1. Issues on regional development objectives;
- 2. Issues on pluralistic development of national land and enhancement of potential for regional development;
- 3. Issues on activating regional economy such as regional industrial development;
- 4. Issues on developing regional human resources and science technology;
- 5. Issues on creating regional development center and improving transport and logistics network;
- 6. Issues on enhancing regional culture and tourism;
- 7. Issues on promoting development in growth promoting region, special coexisting region, agricultural/mountainous/fishery villages and others;
- 8. Issues on relocating government ministries/institutions, etc. to local area; and,
- 9. Issues on financing for investment.
Comprehensive National Territorial Plans
According to Comprehensive National Territorial Development Plan Act, Comprehensive National Territorial Development Plan has been established in Korea at an interval of about a decade since the 1st Plan (1972-1981) up to the 3rd Plan.
The act was revised as Framework Act on National Territory (2002) and the name of the plan was changed to Comprehensive National Territorial Plan and the 4th Comprehensive National Territorial Plan (2000-2020) was established.
Its planning system is characterized by its formulation. In concrete, it is formulated by layered structure (Comprehensive National Territorial Plan - Comprehensive Provincial Plan - Comprehensive City-level Plan) with Regional Plan for specific regions and Sector Plan for specific sectors. It is also characteristic that urban plans of respective cities/counties (apply to the whole administrative area which makes difference with those in Japan) which are established based on Plan for Planning and Use of National Land are provided as Comprehensive City-level Plans.
Comprehensive National Territorial Plan is revised once every five years and currently being exercised is the 4th Comprehensive National Territorial Plan Corrective Plan (2011-2020). The plan has a vision of "Global Green National Land for Korea's another jumping-up", sets out four objectives --- comprehensive national land with competitiveness, sustainable green national land, attractive national land with dignity, and national land open to the world--- and announces the promoted strategies, namely, "Strengthen regional specialization and wide-area partnership to enhance competitiveness of national land", "Create nature-friendly and safety national space", "Create comfortable and cultural urban/housing environment", "Formulate integrated network of green transportation and national land information", "Formulate land foundation of newly growing maritime nation open to the world" and "Formulate national land management foundation beyond national boundaries". Notable factors of the plan are that it (1)shifted over from mathematical sense of balance to regional development strategy that focuses on regional competitiveness, (2)adopted green growth strategy, and (3)set out objectives to strengthen co-development within regions and dignity and openness of national land.
Metropolitan Planning System (Spatial structure of the Capital region)
Pursuant to Article 4 of the 1982 Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act, the Capital Area Development Plan is a comprehensive, long-term plan that sets forth the fundamental principles for the basic direction for development or improvement projects in the capital, the physical distribution of people and industries, and the construction of facilities in the area. The current plan is the third of its kind (2006-2020).
The Capital Area Development Plan takes precedent over other laws and regulations in place in the area involving land use plans and various development plans. In fact, it forms the basis of those laws and regulations. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs develops a draft, submits it to the Capital Area Development Plan Committee (chaired by the Prime Minister), which deliberates and finalizes it.
The Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act contains regulations for the construction of universities, factories, public complexes, and other large buildings, regulations on the development of land for industrial and housing purposes, and location rules set out according to specific districts in the area (e.g. those which have measures in place to curb overcrowding, those with measures to manage growth, and nature preserves).
International Perspectives in the Current Comprehensive National Territorial Plan
The 4th Comprehensive National Territorial Plan Corrective Plan (2011-2020) sets out its policy to create a belt composed of east coast area, west coast area and south coast area as "super wide-area development zone" and intensively develop it as a strategic growth axis to expand into continent and oceans, and that is to make use of geopolitical advantage of Korean Peninsula.
Moreover, it states its objectives to strengthen global gateway function of ports and airports which include; specializing hub ports within each wide-area economic zone, strengthening North East Asia Port Alliance, enhancing air liberalization, strengthening hub function of Incheon International Airport, etc.
The plan sets out, in view of ultralong-term, to promote international cooperation for establishing railway transport and logistics system to enable expanding into Asia and Europe and for connecting the missing link in Asian Highway, through connecting Korean Peninsula Railway Network with Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR) and Trans-China Railway (TCR).
In addition, it presents direction to promote cooperation within cross-border regional development in Northeast Asia & ASEAN area through exploring and promoting joint project, expanding institutional cooperation within involved countries, etc.
- InnoCity
- Article 18 of Special Act for Balanced National Development sets an assumption that the nation will take measures to relocate government ministries/institutions to local areas and 157 government ministries/institutions were designated based on this article. To treat those that move to sites out of Sejong city, "Special Act for Constructing and Supporting InnoCity (Innovation City) in Consequence of Government Ministries' Relocation" was established in January 2007.
- InnoCity aims at performing centripetal role of regional innovation by relocating government ministries/institutions collectively from metropolitan area and developing new environment with fine environment to settle for ministries/institutions, universities, research institutions and enterprises which will enable outstanding human resources take root in local areas. The project will bring construction of total 10 cities in each provincial-level municipality (excluding metropolitan area and Sejong City).
- The Act provides for; assistance for relocating ministry/institution and its staff; measures on disposal and use of moved out site; establishment of special account; procedure of urban development; etc.
- Period of the project is 2007-2030. Stage 1 (2007-12) is the stage for relocated governmental ministries/institutions to settle; Stage 2(2013-20) is the stage for industry, academia and research bodies to settle; Stage 3 (2021-31) is the stage for innovation to diffuse. Planned staff of relocated ministry/institution and related companies is 2,500-4,000 in each city and planned induced population is 15,000-25,000.
- Province-level Municipalities in Korea consists of Seoul Special City, 6 Metropolitan Cities and 9 Provinces. Municipal Governments consists of 163 cities and counties.
