New Geumcheon-gu district mayor's first official act targets data center disputes

Newly appointed Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Ki-chan has made resolving conflicts over data center construction near residential areas his first official act, signing off on a plan to establish a resident-participation review system and pursue regulatory reform.

The centerpiece of the initiative is a resident-participation review framework that would incorporate community input before a building permit is even filed. Data center construction has been on the rise, but residents frequently push back over concerns about electromagnetic radiation, noise and the fire risk posed by emergency diesel generators. Geumcheon-gu is no exception. In February, some residents traveled to a data center construction site in Doksan-dong and staged a protest, holding signs that read, "What business does a data center have near schools and homes?"

The district will also establish a dedicated data center task force. The task force will oversee all data center-related responses and will be divided into a general operations team, a permitting team and a management and support team, sharing responsibilities to resolve pressing issues quickly.

"Protecting the safety and quality of life of local residents is the top priority of any local government — it is not something that can be put off for 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."

Building permits are administrative decisions that leave no room for discretionary judgment. Even when a data center is planned adjacent to a densely populated residential area, authorities cannot deny a permit solely on the basis of community opposition.

In response, Geumcheon-gu will use this first official act to require, when a building permit application is submitted, consent from 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 architectural committee consultation (stage 3).

At stage 2, the conflict-mediation council will bring together the district office, resident representatives, experts and the project operator to share and work through key points of contention.

The district will also explore ways to foster mutual benefit with the local community. On the premise of voluntary participation by data center operators, the district plans to actively encourage a "community coexistence agreement" — reached through consultations among residents, the district office and operators — covering support for the digital competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the area and the preferential hiring of local workers.

Over the medium to long term, the district will pursue fundamental regulatory reform in parallel. It plans to petition the Seoul Metropolitan Government to amend its urban planning ordinance and to call on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to revise the Building Act, with the goal of categorically blocking data center development in second- and third-class general residential zones.