The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building. [Herald Business DB]
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport building. [Herald Business DB]

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will convene its first building policy meeting with local governments nationwide since the launch of the ninth round of elected local administrations, focusing on field-driven regulatory reform and policy cooperation.

The ministry announced Monday that it will host the "Central-Local Building Policy Forum" at Government Complex Sejong on Thursday, with representatives from all 16 cities and provinces and relevant agencies in attendance.

The forum was organized to allow in-depth discussion of more than 60 regulatory reform and policy proposals submitted in advance by local governments, and to improve the efficiency of frontline building administration.

Among the key agenda items is preparation for the smooth implementation of the Special Measures Act on the Disposition of Specific Buildings, which takes effect in December for an 18-month temporary period. Designed to support use-approval procedures for small-scale residential facilities serving ordinary citizens, the law has prompted the ministry to plan guidelines and a review of its monitoring framework to minimize confusion on the ground.

The forum will also gather final input from local governments on detailed implementation measures for a fire safety survey of factories and warehouses announced last month. An urban and regional design innovation project — which draws on locally distinctive resources to create high-quality landscapes — will also be on the agenda.

Local governments will put forward their own regulatory reform proposals. Ulsan will call for a special exception allowing individual building permits for factory expansions within industrial complexes, aimed at reducing procedural burdens and encouraging corporate investment. South Chungcheong Province will request support for securing specialist staff and ensuring the stable operation of regional building safety centers responsible for managing aging structures. Additional proposals include allowing prospective tenants to obtain building registry documents and simplifying demolition procedures for small buildings — everyday deregulation measures that directly affect residents' lives.

"This forum will serve as an important starting point for central and local governments to work together in resolving regional building issues," said Jeong Eui-gyeong, director general of the ministry's Land and Urban Affairs Bureau. "We will regularize the forum to build a standing cooperation framework and pursue proactive regulatory reforms that people can feel in their daily lives."

The forum will also feature a presentation by Cho Sang-gyu, a senior research fellow at the Architecture and Urban Research Institute, on trends in AI adoption in the building sector and AI-based building legislation services, covering ways to improve building administration efficiency through artificial intelligence.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com