Mandatory resident consent within 200 meters of data center sites and a three-stage conflict resolution and verification system to be introduced; district office to push for zoning law changes to block data centers near residential areas and establish a dedicated task force under the deputy district mayor
Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan, who begins his "9th directly elected term" on Tuesday, has made resolving the problem of data centers being built near residential areas his first official act — signing off on a plan titled "Establishing a Resident-Participatory Review System and Institutional Improvements for Data Centers."
According to the district office, the centerpiece of the initiative is the introduction of a resident-participatory review system that incorporates community input before a building permit application is even filed.
Under current law, building permits are administrative decisions that leave no room for discretionary judgment. That means authorities cannot deny a permit on the basis of resident opposition even when a data center is proposed adjacent to a densely populated residential area.
In response, Geumcheon-gu will require that any building permit application be accompanied by the written consent of a majority of residents within a 200-meter radius of the site boundary, along with a self-assessment checklist.
The verification process will also follow a strict transparency principle, proceeding in three stages: expert written review (stage 1), a conflict mediation council (stage 2), and consultation with the building committee (stage 3).
The stage-2 conflict mediation council will bring together the district office, resident representatives, experts, and the project operator to share and work through key issues. The aim is to objectively assess environmental concerns arising from data center construction — such as electromagnetic radiation, noise, and urban heat island effects — and to make all proceedings fully transparent to residents, heading off disputes caused by a lack of communication.
The district will also explore ways to promote coexistence with the local community. Contingent on voluntary participation by data center operators, the district plans to actively encourage the conclusion of a "community coexistence agreement" — negotiated among residents, the district office, and operators — covering support for the digital competitiveness of local small and medium-sized enterprises and preferential hiring of local workers.
Over the medium to long term, the district will pursue fundamental institutional reform in parallel. It plans to strongly urge amendments to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's urban planning ordinance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Building Act to categorically prohibit data centers from locating in second- and third-class general residential zones.
The district will also establish a dedicated data center task force reporting directly to the deputy district mayor. The task force will oversee all data center-related responses and will be organized into a general affairs unit, a permitting unit, and a management and support unit to divide and coordinate responsibilities and resolve pressing issues swiftly.
"Protecting the safety and comfortable residential environment of local residents is the top priority of local government — a task that cannot be delayed even a single day," Choi said. "Centered on the dedicated data center task force, we will transparently reflect residents' voices from before the building permit stage and establish firm standards to head off sources of conflict in advance."
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