From 20-meter height zone to 24 meters... Jeju launches full inspection of Hyosung Harrington permit approvals

[Financial News, Jeju = Reporter Jeong Yong-bok] Jeju Island will revisit the entire approval process for Hyosung Harrington Place Jeju, which has been embroiled in allegations of political lobbying and cash or gifts being offered. The inspection will focus on whether the process that changed the site from a maximum height limit of 20 meters to allowing up to 24 meters and eight stories under a district unit plan complied with the law and procedures, and whether the administration lost fairness compared with other development projects.
According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 25th, the province will conduct an intensive inspection of the approval process for the Hyosung Harrington Place Jeju apartment project in Hagwi 1-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju City.
Jeju Island began reviewing the legality of the overall approval process on the 5th of this month. After related allegations continued to surface the previous day, on the 24th, Governor of Jeju Island Wi Seong-gon instructed officials to "swiftly and comprehensively inspect all allegations of misconduct that have been raised." The inspection will run through October under Jeju Island’s inspection regulations.
What makes this inspection notable is the 2021 process of changing the height management rules. According to materials submitted to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council at the time, the project site was classified as a Type 2 general residential area and included in Aewol No. 2 height zone, where the maximum building height was managed at 20 meters or less.
The developer proposed a change to urban management plans that would exclude 34422 square meters around 21-2 Hagwi 1-ri from the existing height zone and manage building height through a district unit plan.
If the revised plan were applied, the area of Aewol No. 2 height zone would shrink from 93,850 square meters to 59,428 square meters. The 34,422 square meters removed from the zone are the apartment project site.

The project plan submitted at the time called for two basement levels, eight above-ground floors, and 432 households. The building height was listed at 23.7 meters, and the district unit plan draft set the maximum height at 24 meters and eight stories.
The height increase was also a point of contention in the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council. At a June 2021 meeting of the Environment and Urban Committee, lawmakers focused on why the height limit was being raised by 4 meters from the existing 20 meters and on the impact on the surrounding landscape.
When one lawmaker repeatedly asked, "Why are you trying to raise the height?" the then head of Jeju City’s Urban Construction Bureau replied, "Because of project feasibility."
The administration explained at the time that, under the district unit plan guidelines, height limits could be relaxed after evaluating public contributions, landscape, transportation infrastructure, and the durability of buildings.
In the end, Hyosung Harrington Place Jeju was built with two basement levels, eight above-ground floors, 17 buildings, and 425 households. It received approval for its housing subscription notice in 2023 and was granted occupancy approval in December 2024.
However, the fact that the site was removed from the 20-meter height zone and then managed up to 24 meters under a district unit plan does not automatically mean preferential treatment or illegality. Relevant laws and Jeju Island’s district unit plan guidelines allowed height adjustments under certain conditions and review procedures.
That is exactly what Jeju Island must now verify. The key issues in the inspection are whether the evaluation and review standards applied to the project complied with regulations, whether public contributions and landscape and traffic conditions were properly assessed, and whether the same standards were applied as in similar projects.

The controversy has grown after allegations emerged involving lobbying and the provision of money or valuables to people connected to the developer and the political sphere.
The Jeju Provincial Police Agency has also formed a separate task force to investigate the case. On the 18th, police raided offices linked to the developer and others, seeking materials that could support the approval process and the various allegations.
While the police are determining whether criminal liability exists, Jeju Island’s inspection will focus on whether the administration’s decision-making and internal control processes at the time functioned properly.
Jeju Island plans to request an investigation by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Audit Committee if the inspection finds any illegal or improper conduct, and to coordinate with investigative authorities on matters already under criminal investigation before taking follow-up action based on the results.
In the end, the key issue in this inspection is not simply whether 24 meters was possible. It is about determining whether the law and review standards were properly applied in the process of changing a site managed at 20 meters into a district unit plan allowing 24 meters and eight stories, and whether the administration’s judgment was consistent with that applied to other projects.
Kim Hyun-soo, Jeju Island’s integrity inspector, said, "We are focusing on clearly confirming the facts," adding, "We will carry out the inspection in a way that the public can trust."


[email protected] Reporter Jeong Yong-bok Reporter