Seongnam and coalition clash over Yuldong Park campsite status

A dispute has erupted in Seongnam, South Korea, over the proposed rezoning of land for the Yuldong auto camping ground in Yuldong Park. A civic group claims the facility, covering about 30,000 square meters, exceeds the legal limit of 10,000 square meters for preservation green areas, making it an unregistered illegal campsite. The city argues that as a park facility, it is not subject to the same area restrictions. The city plans to rezone the area from 'preservation green' to 'natural green' to register the campsite under the Tourism Promotion Act, but activists demand reducing the campsite to the legal size. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have previously stated that park campsites must also comply with registration requirements under the Tourism Promotion Act.

Gyeonggi Province's special judicial police are investigating Seongnam city officials over the alleged operation of an unregistered auto campground in Yuldong Park, Bundang. The 23,000 sq m facility has been operating since June last year in a conservation green area, where registration as a camping business is required under the Tourism Promotion Act. Authorities are also examining whether the site exceeds the 10,000 sq m limit for such zones. The city plans to rezone the area to natural green space, citing legal interpretation differences.

Gyeonggi Province special judicial police are investigating the operation of an auto campsite in Yuldong Park in Seongnam on suspicion of running without registration and exceeding area limits. The city has initiated a procedure to change the land use designation from a conservation green area to a natural green area, drawing criticism as an attempt to retroactively legalize violations. The city countered that it is a preliminary administrative step to resolve legal uncertainties and has requested an official interpretation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Seongnam City said it will proceed with follow-up steps based on an official interpretation of relevant laws after a civic group criticized the proposed zoning change for the auto campsite in Yuldong Park. The dispute centers on whether area standards for campsites in conservation green zones apply to campsites within urban parks. The city says the facility was built as a park facility under the Act on Urban Parks and Green Spaces, while the civic group cites the Tourism Promotion Act. In July, the city asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism through Gyeonggi Province for clarification. Registering the campsite as a tourist accommodation would expand liability insurance coverage from 500 million won per incident to unlimited.

Seongnam City and the civic coalition 'Seongnam-eul Bakkunen Siminryeondae' are in a legal dispute over the status of the auto camping ground in Yuldong Park, which opened in June 2025. The city argues that the facility is a park facility and that a zoning change from conservation green area to natural green area is necessary for registration under the Tourism Promotion Act. The coalition claims the camping ground exceeds the permitted area of 10,000 square meters and is illegal, demanding a reduction in size instead of a zoning change. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have stated in responses that even park camping grounds are subject to registration under the Tourism Promotion Act, supporting the coalition's position. The outcome of the dispute is expected to be determined by the authorities' official interpretation.