Measures to Better Serve Public Interest in the Use of State-owned Land

Kim Myeongsoo, Director, Urban Research Division, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements

Summary

1. (Status of state-owned land use) Issues have been raised such as regional concentration of the use of state-owned land, land being mostly used for buildings, development projects that are mostly commissioned, etc.  

2. (Need to change the policy for state-owned land use to better serve public interest) Important policy issues have emerged such as more active use of state-owned land, better serving public interest with state-owned land use, realizing social values, and so forth.  

- Innovative growth and tolerance should be adopted as key values in using state-owned land, and public interest should be better served by creating jobs and realizing social values 

- Since state-owned land is a public asset to be used by both the current and future generations, it should be used from a long-term and strategic perspective. Following the principle of “plan first, use later,” projects should be implemented with a focus on public interest, to contribute to the nation’s economic development and benefits of the people.   

3. (Need to improve the system according to the four policy issues) A system needs to be constructed to address conflict among the expansion of the range of state-owned land use, strengthening of the overall control function, and establishing and using plans from a long-term perspective. To build the system, related institutions should be improved as well. 

Policy implications

① (Prepare directions to expand the range of state-owned land use) Along with the expansion of the range of state-owned land use, sub-level directions are needed to clarify the method and process of land development, the method to share development profits, and management and disposal. 

② (Strengthen the overall control function) For long-term and strategic use of the land, the control function (active exercise of the right for use rescission, establishing a land use plan, etc.) of the organization with blanket authority should be strengthened. To support this, a dedicated specialist organization needs to be designated. 

③ (Institutionalize writing up of the land use plan) State-owned land should be used in a way that serves public interest from a long-term and strategic perspective. Thus, establishing a land use plan at a local government level should be institutionalized. Through participatory land planning, it is also necessary to reflect public aspects of the use and social values and also address obstacles to urban planning. 

④ (Conflict resolution and cooperative use) State-owned land use may involve many stakeholders or landowners. Thus, there should be a system to resolve conflict (project methods, profit sharing, property valuation, negotiation guidelines, etc.) ​