Projects tied to Wangsuk new town to improve living conditions for 250,000 residents

Gunsan industrial complex buffer reservoir also clears review

Yongin-Gwangju expressway delayed over toll fee dispute

Three private investment projects worth 700 billion won ($524 million) — covering sewage treatment expansion and a waste recycling facility tied to the Wangsuk third-generation new town development in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province — have entered full implementation procedures.

The Ministry of Planning and Budget said Thursday it held the sixth Private Investment Project Review Committee of 2026, chaired by Vice Minister Jo Yong-beom, and approved all three projects.

The Ministry of Planning and Budget signboard at Government Complex Sejong. [Yonhap]
The Ministry of Planning and Budget signboard at Government Complex Sejong. [Yonhap]

At the meeting, the committee approved the designation of a project operator and the implementation agreement for a sewage treatment facility installation project in the Wangsukcheон basin in Namyangju.

The project involves constructing new or expanded sewage treatment facilities in the Pyeongnae-dong and Suseok-dong areas of Namyangju and will be carried out under a build-transfer-operate profit-sharing model. It is designed to meet rising sewage treatment demand generated by large-scale residential development, including the Wangsuk third-generation new town.

With a project operator now selected, construction is expected to accelerate. The ministry said it anticipates the completed facilities will improve living conditions for approximately 250,000 residents in the surrounding area.

A separate project to build a waste recycling facility in Namyangju also cleared the committee, with both the operator designation and implementation agreement approved.

The project calls for installing an integrated biogas facility along with recycling and bulky-waste processing facilities in the Ipae-dong area of Namyangju. The facilities will be placed underground, with a multipurpose park built on the surface above them.

A project to install buffer reservoir facilities at national and general industrial complexes in Gunsan received approval for its private investment designation and third-party proposal announcement. Once completed, the project is expected to help prevent pollution of public waterways from industrial activity in the Osikdo-dong area of Gunsan.

By contrast, the committee could not reach a conclusion on a separate proposal to designate a private investment project for an expressway linking Yongin and Gwangju. Disagreements over toll fees and other issues emerged during deliberations, leading the committee to defer a vote pending further discussion. The ministry said it plans to bring the matter back before the committee at a future session.

"To boost future growth engines, we need to actively leverage private investment alongside public fiscal resources for infrastructure, supporting economic growth and job creation," Vice Minister Jo said. "We will continue to identify and refine the regulatory improvements needed to advance private investment projects."


y2k@heraldcorp.com