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 affirmed a lower court's decision compelling the Seoul city government to remit usage fees to the national railway authority for the maintenance of a public park constructed above a railroad. The ruling emerged from a lawsuit initiated by the Seoul city government to annul a 42.1 billion won ($29.8 million) usage fee levied by the Korea National Railway, a public body under the transport ministry, for the utilization of the Gyeongui Line Forest Park site.
The court emphasized the impracticality of acknowledging the Seoul city government's entitlement to occupy or exploit the park site without charge or the existence of a legal basis to justify such occupancy or use. The Gyeongui Line Forest Park, spanning 6.3 kilometers in the western Mapo district, was developed between 2008 and 2016 atop erstwhile above-ground railroad tracks following the relocation of segments of the Gyeongui Line underground.
Its popularity earned it the nickname "Yeontral Park." In 2010, the Seoul city government and the Korea National Railway entered an agreement regarding the former's free use of 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.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
