Research Report
Ⅰ. Backgrounds and Purposes
□ “Hot Spring Act” is the act which was enacted in 1981 for the systematic preservation and control and efficient use of the hot springs in Korea. According to this Act, 138 areas are designated as the hot spring area (hot spring protection zones) for use and development.
□ The development of hot spring can be the critical elements in the development industry and activation of local economy. But the random approval for the development of hot spring can cause the environmental contamination such as in ecosystem and underground water.
□ The term “hot spring” under the current Act is the hot water at 25 degree centigrade or above, that gushes forth from underground. As the hot spring can be designated and developed as long as its ingredients meet two requirements and it is not hazardous to human body, there have been criticism that the loose regulation over the requirements of hot spring leads to the random development of hot springs.
□ So, I would like to suggest the long term alternative to the current Act by reviewing and ex-post legislative evaluating the requirements of hot springs, development method and developer and control standards of the current Act.
Ⅱ. Major Content
□ The target for the ex-post legislative evaluation in this study is as follows. First, according to Article 2, Item 1 of “Hot Spring Act”, which is the standard for the temperature and ingredients for the approval of hot spring and Article 2 of Enforcement Decree of the Act, the hot spring is the underground water having the temperature of 25 degree centigrade or above, and which is not hazardous to human body according to the standard specified in the Presidential Decree (Article 2, Item 1 of “Hot Spring Act”).
□ Second, the provisions on the designation of the designation of hot spring hole protection zones specified in Article 5 of Hot Spring Act. I will check whether the provision specifying that the designation of the hot spring hole protection leads to the cancellation of the designation of underground water preservation zones has considered the long term perspective.
Ⅲ. Expected Effects
□ Contribution to the alternative act for the development and preservation of sustainable hot springs.