Supreme Court orders Seoul gov't to pay fee for Gyeongui Line Forest Park
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling that ordered the Seoul city government to pay usage fees to the national railway authority for a public park built over a railroad. The top court made the ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Seoul city government seeking to nullify a usage fee of 42.1 billion won ($29.8 million) imposed by the Korea National Railway, a public entity…
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed a lower court's decision, compelling the Seoul city government to remit usage fees to the Korea National Railway for a public park constructed atop a railroad. The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought forth by the Seoul city government, challenging a 42.1 billion won ($29.8 million) charge levied by the national railway for utilizing the Gyeongui Line Forest Park site.
The court deemed it implausible for the Seoul city government to claim ownership or rightful use of the park without compensation or a legally sound basis for such claims. The Gyeongui Line Forest Park, spanning 6.3 kilometers in the western Mapo ward, emerged between 2008 and 2016 atop erstwhile above-ground railroad tracks after segments of the Gyeongui Line were relocated underground.
Its widespread appeal has earned it the nickname Yeontral Park. In 2010, the Seoul city government and the Korea National Railway had inked a pact granting the city free access to the state-owned land.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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