Military Flight Base Noise Committee, Including Suwon City Council Speaker Jo Myung-ja, Demands Improvement of Military Noise Law Subordinate Regulations to Ministry of National Defense

[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Seo Dong-young] The National Association of Local Assemblies for Joint Response to Military Flight Base Damage (Chairman Jo Myung-ja, Speaker of the Suwon City Council; hereafter Military Base Noise Committee) submitted opinions on the 29th afternoon to the Ministry of National Defense regarding the "Enforcement Decree/Enforcement Rules (Draft) of the Act on Noise Prevention and Damage Compensation for Military Flight Bases and Military Shooting Ranges."

Following the enactment of the "Act on Noise Prevention and Damage Compensation for Military Flight Bases and Military Shooting Ranges" last year, the Ministry of National Defense prepared subordinate regulatory measures.

To this end, Chairman Jo Myung-ja of the Military Base Noise Committee, along with Suwon City Council members Lee Jae-sik and Kim Ho-jin, Yeoju City Council member Choi Jong-mi, Seoul Songpa-gu Council member Lee Bae-cheol, and Gwangju Gwangsan-gu Council member Kook Kang-hyun, compiled and submitted opinions from assembly members belonging to their respective regions.

Members of the Military Base Noise Committee pointed out that the noise compensation standards prepared by the Ministry of National Defense do not match fairness compared to civilian aviation noise compensation standards and submitted the opinion: "In the designation standards for noise countermeasure areas, considering fairness of noise damage, eliminate the metropolitan area classification for category 3 areas and apply compensation standards of 75 Wecles, which are the same as those for civilian airports."

Furthermore, they stated: "Please specify the method for distinguishing boundaries of noise countermeasure damage areas" and "If we distinguish based on topography and structures, we can minimize conflicts with neighbors regarding compensation payment," presenting specific measures.

Additionally, regarding facility installation restrictions in noise countermeasure areas included in the subordinate regulations, they requested mitigation of excessive regulations to minimize property damage to residents and requested inclusion of resident support projects for noise-damaged areas.

Chairman Jo Myung-ja stated when submitting opinions to the Ministry of National Defense: "I will make every effort to ensure that subordinate regulations are enacted that sufficiently reflect the voices of affected area residents," and "I will do my best so that more residents can receive just compensation for military noise damage."

The Military Base Noise Committee is an organization established in 2012 through cooperation centered on assembly members belonging to local assemblies in areas damaged by military airport noise. Currently, members from 25 city, county, and district assemblies are active, and have conducted joint responses for the enactment of the military noise law on behalf of residents in affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense plans to conduct a noise impact survey from the second half of 2020, confirm noise countermeasure areas in the second half of 2021, and begin compensation payments for military noise damage in the first half of 2022.