The modern industrial society, manifested as a consumer society, is sustained through the sacrifice and preservation of the natural environment, highlighting the importance of environment conservation around the world. In the 2000s, concerns about un-controlled development of the land gradually became a social issue as the need for preservation of the natural environment, which was sacrificed due to indiscriminate development activities, emerged in Korea and in order to actively respond to this, the national land-related legislation was completely reorganized. In other words, Korea's national land-related legislation is based on the premise of the Former National Land Construction Comprehensive Planning Act, and the Former Act on the Utilization and Management of the National Territory is applied to non-urban areas of the country by dividing non-urban areas and urban areas. The land was managed in a binary classification method applying the Former Urban Planning Act to urban areas, but on February 4, 2002, all of these laws were abolished. Instead, the framework act on the national land was enacted to replace the Former National Land Construction Comprehensive Planning Act, and the National Land Planning Act was enacted and implemented to apply urban planning techniques to the entire country from January 1, 2003. Un-controlled development of the national land is a concept opposite to the planned development of the national land, and it means development that uses the land indiscriminately or indiscriminately without a plan. Therefore, it can be said that un-controlled development could be solved by applying urban planning techniques to the entire country.
According to the National Land Planning Act, the development permit system applies to constructing buildings or installation of structures, changing the shape of land, collecting earth and stone, dividing land, and piling up objects for more than one month in a green area, management area, or natural environment conservation area. Furthermore, these actions usually correspond to the necessary authorization and permission in the process for the main licensing stipulated in other laws. Therefore, the law on which the main license is based takes the form of stipulating the development permit system in the National Land Planning Act as the license proposed through the main authorization and permission. For example, construction permits stipulated in Article 11 of “Building Codes” are those that are legal fiction system as obtaining a development permit system in accordance with Article 11 (5) 3 of “Building Codes” when obtaining construction permits. In other words, in the National Land Planning Act, the development permit system is often implemented by making the agenda through the legal fiction system stipulated by other laws. On the other hand, in the case of Article 61 of the National Land Planning Act, which presupposes administrative measures of the development permit system by the National Land Planning Act first, and the administrative measures prescribed by other laws through this, the development permit system is reviewed from the standpoint of the main administrative agency dealing with land planning. In that there is a review of the standards, the function of preventing un-controlled development of the development permit system in the National Land Planning Act can be performed relatively faithfully. However, when the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act is on the agenda under other laws, the legal principle of the legal fiction system is problematic in relation to the main licensing administrative measures. In other words, the “Framework Act on the National Land” and the National Land Planning Act based on it prevent uncontrolled development and make plans to use the land efficiently and manage the land. In addition, since permission for development activities is stipulated as a means to use the land lawfully, the development permit system does not approach the main licensing and administrative measures at the level of individual laws, rather than the proposed laws and regulations. This is because it is necessary to consider the national land planning point of view according to the corresponding National Land Planning Act. In this respect, the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act to prevent uncontrolled development is determined in relation to the concept of permit and the systematic meaning of the legal fiction system, which is the starting point of the development permit system, and the there is a need to review the criteria of the development permit system.
Since our National Land Planning Act was enacted, the agenda of the development permit system has been revised three times, and the examination criteria for the development permit system have been revised 12 times. On the other hand, as confirmed through the development permit system practitioners, it can be confirmed that, despite such frequent revisions, there are difficulties in operating the development permit system according to the National Land Planning Act. It can be seen that the development permit system did not reflect the essential discussion on public law issues. The confusion of the public law issues of the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act has been passed on to the ones in charge in the development permit system practice, and it can eventually appear as a loss to the public. In other words, the discussion of public law issues in the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act is due to the legal vagueness of the public law regulations under the National Land Planning Act. As a result of this, the position of theories and precedents is not harmonized, and from the point of view of administrative practitioners who enforce these laws and regulations, they feel uneasy in figuring out which method is the right way to enforce them, resulting in confusion in their work. Realistically, this leads to delays in the processing of the development permit system personnel, which in turn leads to unreasonable administrative regulations on the people. In this case, the public may have distrust of the public law relations surrounding the National Land Planning Act as well as the administrative agency. Therefore, when considering the problems pointed out by the development permit system practitioners in considering the improvement plan to solve the problems of the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act, a more reasonable improvement plan can be derived. This is meaningful as a learning process that suggests alternatives to reflect on and correct the operation of the National Land Planning Act at this point, as the reorganization of the national land-related legal system has been underway for 20 years.
First, the development permit system stipulated by the National Land Planning Act in relation to the development of national land has been stipulated in Article 46 of the Former Urban Planning Act, the predecessor of the National Land Planning Act, and as the target development activity is defined in a way that enumerates the target, there is no precise definition of the concept of the development activity yet. In this regard, the development permit system stipulated by the National Land Planning Act, according to the doctrine, decisions of the Constitutional Court, and court precedents, enhances the sustainability of land management by inducing harmonization of development and conservation. In addition, it is understood as a system that prevents uncontrolled development and promotes planned management of the land through the evaluation criteria of the development permit system in consideration of the appropriateness of the plan, securing of infrastructure, and harmony with the surrounding landscape and environment. It also holds that it does not infringe on property rights under the Constitution. Therefore, the development permit system must be operated within the ideology of "Framework Act on the National Land" and the principles of land planning stipulated by the National Land Planning Act. Besides, according to the principle of the rule of law and administration, administrative agencies should not forget the direction of national land development according to these land-related laws and regulations. Reflecting this point, it is necessary to consider the status of the National Land Planning Act as a "basic law", to raise the status of the development permit system, and to define a concept that considers the basic functions for land management of the development permit system. Through this, discussions related to the legal nature of the development permit system can be concluded, and the transparency of the operation of the development permit system can be increased, and the actual development permit system review with the concept of development in mind can contribute to the prevention of uncontrolled development.
Next, in the procedure of development permit system, there is a problem in relation to the system of agenda, that is, when the other laws are subject to approval through the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act, or when the development permit system under the National Land Planning Act is proposed by other laws. The confusion related to the development permit system is related to the legal fiction system, and it is causing confusion in practice because theories and precedents have not been established in relation to the legal principles of the legal fiction system. In this regard, the "Basic Administrative Law" enacted and enforced on March 23, 2021, stipulates the legal fiction system in Chapter 3, the contents of administrative actions, in Section 2 through Articles 24 to 26, and "Basic Administrative Law" defined the concept of the “legal fiction system of authorization and permission” and stipulated the concentration of related licensing and licensing procedures. In addition, the stipulation of the scope of effect and follow-up management of the legal fiction system is expected to have the effect of clearing the confusion of the development permit system agenda to some extent. However, it is yet to be implemented and all public law issues related to the legal fiction system have not been legislated.
The legal fiction system of authorization and permission is a system that is considered to have received relevant licenses when the main license is received. In order to respond to requests for expediting procedures and simplification of procedures with the onset of the industrialization era, the former Urban Planning Act No. 2291 on July 20, 1971 was first introduced when the Act was completely amended, and currently 116 laws are using the legal fiction system of authorization and permission
The first thing that confuses the legal fiction system of authorization and permission is whether all of the requirements of the relevant licensing and licensing must be satisfied in addition to the main licensing, that is, whether it is “realistic”. There are conflicting views on this, but “not realistic” is appropriate. In other words, in that the effects of administrative actions according to the related authorization and permission occur together through the main authorization and permission, not only the requirements of the main licenses but also the requirements of the related authorization and permission must be met. Furthermore, it is stated that the administrative agency in charge of main licensing should examine not only the main licensing requirements but also whether the proposed related licensing requirements are met. Considering the fact that it is necessary to “consult” with the relevant authorization and permission when setting the licensing agenda, it can be inferred that the legislator's intention was to demand the requirements for the related authorization and permission. However, some argue that the legal nature of such “consultation” is only as effective as “simple advice”. According to this position, one may not necessarily agree to the “not realistic” idea. However, even if it follows "not realistic", it cannot be said that it is logically concluded that the consultation opinion of the administrative agency in charge of the related licensing and permission has binding force on the administrative agency in charge of the main licensing and permission. In this regard, the court's position is inconsistent, but considering that it has the character of “agreement” or “consultation” it can be seen that mutual respect of doctors is required through the exchange of opinions between the administrative agency in charge of the main licensing and licensing and the administrative agency in charge of the related licensing.
In relation to the licensing agenda, it was also confusing whether there was no need to go through the relevant licensing and licensing procedures only with the main licensing process. In this regard, in principle, the "Basic Administrative Law" requires only the main licensing process, but if the law stipulates that "the procedure must be followed even when a licensing issue is proposed", the controversy seems to have been settled by stipulating that the procedure for related authorization and permission must also be passed. However, this regulation will not come into effect until March 24, 2023.
The biggest issue in relation to the licensing agenda is whether or not the related licensing and permission on the agenda actually exist. This is causing great confusion regarding the division of duties between the administrative agency in charge of licensing and the administrative agency in charge of related licensing and permission in practice as to whether the related licenses and licenses can be subject to litigation and whether follow-up management is possible. In this regard, "not realistic" means that despite the fact that the proposed licensing has not been carried out, it is recognized as a administrative measures, which is of the opinions that it is difficult to view the proposed licensing as an actual administrative measures because it violates the procedural legitimacy of the 'Principle of Administrative Measures' and 'Administrative Measures Method' prescribed in Article 24 of the "Administrative Procedures Act". As a logical consequence of this view, it leads to the conclusion that it is difficult to independently file a lawsuit against only the proposed authorization and permission, and it is impossible to independently make them the subject of follow-up management. From the point of view of the rule of law administration, this seems to be an argument that can have its justification. However, considering the purpose of the licensing agenda system, it is reasonable to affirm its reality. In other words, ‘to be on the agenda’ means “to be regarded as existing even if it does not actually exist”, so the purpose of the licensing agenda system is to “consider that the license has not been obtained, but legally it is considered to exist”. In accordance with this reality affirmation theory, it is natural that independent disputes over the proposed licensing are possible, and the possibility of follow-up management is also affirmed. The "Basic Administrative Law" also stipulates the follow-up management of the proposed licensing. On the other hand, even according to the theory that affirms the reality of the administrative measures, how the illegality of the proposed license affects the illegality of the main license and permission, that is, whether the main license and permission becomes illegal is still a subject of discussion. The courts also do not show a consistent position on this, and the confusion in practice is expected to continue for the time being.
Although reviewing the legal issues of the proposed licensing system is a way to clear up the confusion in the development permit system agenda, it is necessary to consider whether the currently prescribed development permit system agenda system is absolutely necessary. In other words, Japan and Germany, where Korea has been greatly affected by the legal system, do not recognize the development permit system agenda as broadly as in Korea. In particular, in the case of Japan, the development permit system is a concept related to architecture, and unlike Korea, the development permit system is treated as an independent procedure by stipulating that it must be obtained prior to building permit and its completion is completed. Even in Germany, it is difficult to find the concept of the development permit system agenda. However, in the administrative plan for large-scale development, the procedures and jurisdictions included in the plan are only integrated through the plan confirmation. In contrast, in Korea, making the development permit system on the agenda for building permits requires a review of its effectiveness along with the possibility of suppressing un-controlled development. In other words, it is necessary to reduce the legal system that stipulates the development permit system agenda by comparing the public interest that can be achieved through the development permit system agenda and the violation of the public interest and private interest achieved by not recognizing the development permit system agenda. At the same time, the "Special Act for Simplification of Land Use Authorization and Permit Procedures" should be abolished as the licensing agenda is stipulated through the "Basic Administrative Law", and the planned use of the national land should be the highest priority by breaking away from the all-round thinking of development through speeding up and simplifying procedures.
On the other hand, considering the status of the "Basic Law", it is recommended that the provisions of the 'licensing and licensing agenda' be moved to the "Administrative Procedures Act" rather than the "Basic Administrative Law" and provided as an exception to the documentary care and method of administrative measures in Article 24 to systematically avoid confusion.
In addition, as the development permit system regulation under the National Land Planning Act is stipulated as an indefinite concept as to whether the permit is approved or not, it is causing confusion in the practice of the development permit system. Therefore, in order to suppress uncontrolled development and achieve planned development of the land according to the rule of law administration, it is necessary to clarify the business process according to the agenda of the development permit system and to come up with a means to resolve the ambiguity of the development permit system examination criteria. In particular, when the development permit system of the National Land Planning Act is proposed by other laws, the evaluation criteria for the development permit system according to the National Land Planning Act are ambiguous. Besides, the goal of efficient management of national land planning and prevention of uncontrolled development stipulated by the National Land Planning Act may not be achieved in some cases, which is a problem. Chapter 5 of the National Land Planning Act, stipulates the standards for the development permit system in Article 58, and there are delegation regulations related to the review for the development permit system in Articles 55 to 56 as the Enforcement Decree of the National Land Planning Act. Furthermore, after receiving this delegation, "development permit system operation guidelines" were enacted as an ordinance of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. However, there are many parts of the indefinite concept in setting the requirements for the regulations that set the examination criteria for permission for development activities, so a wide range of margin of appreciation is recognized by the administrative agency. And the examination criteria for this development permit system are not only the National Land Planning Act, but also through delegation, legal orders and ordinances of local governments are scattered throughout, so it is necessary to materialize the indefinite concept of the development permit system examination standard through an analysis of the form of delegation legislation. As a specific methodology, it prevents the arbitrariness of the authority of the administrative agency in relation to the margin of appreciation recognized by the administrative agency for the indefinite concept. In addition, in order to secure public confidence in the administration, it is necessary to expand the establishment of norm interpretation rules for the development permit system review standards. However, the reality is that it is difficult to see that the concept of norm interpretation rules itself is still active in the practice of the development permit system.
The norm interpretation rules are administrative rules that stipulate the interpretation of laws and regulations, and are intended to alleviate difficulties in the interpretation of laws by law enforcement agencies and to promote uniform and uniform application of laws. The norm interpretation rules are particularly related to the interpretation and application of the indefinite concept. In addition, if the norm interpretation rules are related to the indefinite concept, the interpretation rule will be respected unless it is clearly unreasonable in the sense that margin of appreciation is accepted by the administrative agency in the interpretation of the indefinite concept, so the effectiveness of its operation is great. On the other hand, it is possible for administrative agencies to establish norm interpretation rules as a standard for administrative affairs, the original function of administrative rules, without legal basis. However, it is not easy to maintain consistency in the preparation of norm interpretation rules or the application of norm interpretation rules according to the will of the chief executive. Also, there is a risk of being mistaken as part of passive administration due to developer lobbying or misunderstanding of administrative regulations and becoming the target of regulatory reform. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a legal basis for the norm interpretation rules to be actively utilized.
To this end, amendments to the current National Land Planning Act may be considered. In other words, the standards for the development permit system were finalized by stating of the Article 58, Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3 of the National Land Planning Act states, “It shall be determined by the Presidential Decree according to the following classifications in consideration of the characteristics of the region, the development situation of the region, the current state of infrastructure, etc.” However, if Paragraph 4 stipulates, “Each local government shall organize the characteristics of the region, the local development situation, and the current state of infrastructure in Paragraph 3, and use it as the standard for the evaluation of the development permit system.” Hence, it will be possible to provide specific feasibility by providing more detailed regional characteristics than when determining the examination criteria of the permit system by each ordinance. In addition, the actions of administrative agencies are always intertwined with the regulatory reform of the “Basic Act on Administrative Regulations,” so it is a burdensome reality for administrative agencies to prepare guidelines and the establishment and spread of the corporate concept as a part of redemption should be done together. For example, in the interpretation of the indefinite concept along with the definition of the indefinite concept in the "Proactive Administrative Operation Regulations" enacted by the delegation of Article 4 of the "Basic Administrative Law," the administrative agency must observe the principle of self-restraint to ensure that there is no violation of equity.