Construction on the (예래) Yerae Resort Complex stalled years ago, and it seems unlikely to resume now that a court has revoked the building permit. The developer, Berjaya Jeju, is suing the Jeju Free International City Development Center, and civic groups say the whole project, not just the construction permit, should be canceled. Joseph Kim reports.


Report

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Yerae Resort Complex construction site

This is the (예래) Yerae Resort Complex construction site, where work has been suspended for the past two years.

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Construction suspended 2 years ago

The first phase of the project, only 65 percent complete, is building condominiums and commercial areas.

The construction work stopped in 2015, following a Supreme Court ruling invalidating the Jeju Free International City Development Center's land expropriation.

On the weed covered land, unfinished buildings sit, empty and forlorn.

The construction seems unlikely to resume as last week, the court canceled the construction permit issued by the province.

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Developer must now begin paperwork again to resume work

The cancellation means that the developer should start the administrative procedure all over again from the beginning to resume construction.

The JDC hopes that the project will get back on track, but Berjaya Jeju is pressing forward with lawsuits against the JDC.

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Berjaya seeking \350b in compensation from JDC

Berjaya Jeju is likely seeking 350 billion won for compensation based on the recent court ruling.

Enemies are on every side. JDC should deal with the compensation suit filed by landowners and the legal battle with the Malaysian conglomerate.

Recording
JDC representative
The developer has deferred a decision on whether to press forward with the suit or resume construction since last November. We expect Berjaya will choose a legal battle after the court ruling.
<씽크:제주국제자유도시개발센터 관계자>
"작년 11월 이후 행정소송이 진행 중이었기 때문에 (사업자가) 그 결과를 보고 진행할 의중인 것 같습니다. 그동안 별 진행이 없었는데 이번 판결로 진행되지 않겠나.."

On the heels of the court ruling, landowners who didn’t make objections to the JDC’s land expropriation in 2006 seem to join the compensation lawsuit already filed by other landowners.

Civic groups insist that the development project should be re-examined from the beginning.

They urge the province and the JDC to nullify the project itself immediately.

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‘Project should be canceled’

They also claim that last year’s newly added ordinance on commercial recreation areas that clears way for construction work to resume should be deleted.

INTERVIEW
Kim Jeong-do / Jeju Federation of Environmental Movements
The province and the JDC should cancel the project because the construction permit has been revoked. It’s time to reconsider the project from the beginning.
<인터뷰:김정도/제주환경운동연합 정책팀장>
"모두 무효라는 판결이 나왔기 때문에 즉각 제주도와 JDC가 받아들여서 행정 무효를 선언하고 (사업) 재검토나 원점에서 어떻게 할 지 고민할 때가 아닌가 판단됩니다."

The Yerae Resort Complex development project resurfaced as the court canceled the construction permission.

[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon

The province’s ambitious project is facing headwinds from the developer, landowners and civic groups.

Joseph Kim, KCTV