Plan for Korean Cadastral Reform Project

 Byoung-Chan, Ryu (Director, J Ministry of Home Affairs)

Jung-Ho, Kim ( Professor, Cadastral Engineer Training Institute)

 ABSTRACT

 The modern Korean cadastral system was established as the Land Survey Department in 1898. The name was changed to the Land Investigation Agency in 1910.

However, with current cadastral maps, it is difficult to present accurate surveying results because the cadastral maps have the problems incurred from expansion, contraction and abrasion. Many problems occur from the fact that some of the cadastral records do not correspond to real circumstances.

 Therefore, it is urgently required to set up a multi-purposed cadastral system and construct a Parcel Based Land Information System through the implementation of the Cadastral Reform Project over the whole country.

 However, the Cadastral Reform Project is a national project which needs lots of technical manpower, expensive surveying equipments, an enormous budget over a long-term period. It will be successful only with the public support, senior government support, continuing education of technical manpower, development and introduction of new technologies, steady securing of budget requirements and establishment of responsible organization are assumed.

 1. INTRODUCTION

 The modern Korean cadastral system originated when the Land Survey Department was established in 1898 and survey projects for agriculture lands were performed. However, budget constraints and natural disasters forced an abandonment of the project after two years. The project was begun anew when the Land Investigation Agency was founded in 1910. the cadastral system was established systematically over the whole country by the Land Surveying Project and the Forest Surveying Project.

 The current Korean cadastral system which was established in the 1910's is still working with some partial improvements; but it is difficult to present accurate surveying results because cadastral maps which were made 80 years ago are not good enough, They Nave the problems of expansion, contraction and abrasion. Some of the cadastral records also have disparity to the real circumstances. Therefore to certify officially the people's ownership of land we have had many difficulties.

 We are now moving forward with the Cadastral Reform Project and constructing a Parcel Based Land Information System. It is urgent that a multi-purpose cadastral system be set up which can be utilized by the national government, local governments and public organizations.

2. PRESENT STATUS AND PROBLEMS

2.1 Plural triangular surveying origins

 The triangular geodetic datum system in Korea consists of two regional origin systems and one national level origin system.

Before 1910, a local geodetic datum was made covering 27 cities. Beginning in the 1910's another geodetic datum was set up in an additional 19 cities. After 1913, a national geodetic datum covering the whole country was introduced and the Land Surveying Project and the Forest Surveying Project were carried out.

 Since we have plural geodetic datum systems, we can not integrate to each other.

Status of surveying geodetic datum systems

Name Time of establishment Covering areas
Old geodetic datum Before 1910 27 regions
Special geodetic datum 1910-1912 19 regions
Unified national geodetic datum After 1913 whole country

 

 

 2.2 Difficulties to present accurate surveying results

 A numerical surveying method was adopted for urban reallocation districts in 1976. However, a graphical surveying method is still used for most parts of the country and this brings poor accuracy to surveying results.

 The cadastral maps which were made with the graphical surveying method 80 years ago are not accurate and they have the problems of expansion, contraction and abrasion. Disputes over boundaries have arisen because
it is difficult to present accurate surveying results because of personal and instrumental errors.

 Land registration status by surveying method

(Dec 30. 1995)

Total

 

Graphical Surveying Method

Numerical Surveing Method

Number of Parcels (Thousand)

Area

(km2)

Number of Parcels (Thousand)

Area

(km2)

Number of Parcels (Thousand)

Area

(km2)

(100%)

33,931

(100%)

99,268

(97.8%)

33,193

(99.5%)

98,401

(2.2%)

38

(0.9%)

867

2.3 Disparity between cadastral records and the real situation

Some registered items in the cadastral records such as land books, forest books, cadastral maps and forest maps
do not correspond to the real situation. There are cases in which cadastral records and land registers have different contents. This undermines the public confidence for cadastral records which are kept by the government agency.

With the growing land use, changes such as subdivisions, merging and change in land categories happen frequently; but the consequent adjustments to the cadastral records are not made in due time. This causes disparity between the cadastral records and the real situation.

Disparity between the cadastral records and real situation

Classification

Number of parcels (thousand)

Acreage (km2)

Land registered in cadastral records

33,931

99,268

Land with disparity

(0.08%)

28

(0.05%)

54

Diversified scales of cadastral maps

For cadastral maps there were three kinds of scales: 1:600, 1:1200 and 1:2400. For forest maps there were two kinds of scales: 1:3000 and 1:6000. These scales were introduced when the cadastral system was begun in the 1910's.

The amendment of the cadastral law in 1975 converted the oriental meter system to the metric system and introduced new scales of 1:500 and 1:1000 for cadastral maps. We are now using seven different scales for cadastral maps.

For a segment of land at a village level, different cadastral maps are made using three or four different scales and this causes inconvenience in making, joining, maintaining and managing of the maps.

Type and Map Scale

Classification Scale Subject Area
Cadastral Map 1:500

1:600

1:1000

1:1200

1:2400

Urban area

Urban area

Farmland area

Farmland area

Mountain area

Forest Map 1:3000

1:6000

Suburban area

Suburban area

Mountain area

2.5 Lack of a graphical database

 The computerization of land books and forest books were started in 1980. Construction of an alphanumeric databases for the city/province level was completed in 1990. Today various land information and civil affairs services are provided through an on-line network connecting 15 special city/province offices and 259 city/ county/district offices.

 Computerization of cadastral maps and forest maps are still in its infancy and there does not exist a graphical databases constructed at the national level. It is impossible to provide land information and civil affairs service linking maps and books. Often the adjustment of cadastral maps and forest maps are made by hand.

 Computerization of Cadastral books and maps

Classification

Project Period

Amount of Work

Utilisation

Computerisation of books

1980 1990

34,000,000 parcels

Nationwide on-line services

Computerisation of maps

Under development

680,000 sheets

 

3. PLAN FOR CADASTRAL REFORM PROJECT

3.1 Basic strategy

 To minimize the trial and error in the progress of the Cadastral Reform Project, a pilot project was devised and performed by the relevant government agencies, public organizations and private companies. The Cadastral Reform Project will proceed as a special unit at the city/province level. Considering on the possibility for securing the budget and frequency of the civil petitions and urgency of the project, we have decided that the project will be performed on six large cities including Seoul and Pusan on a priority basis, We will pass the Law for the Cadastral Reform Project so that the project can go on steadily and efficiently.

 3.2 General Planning

We are planning to change from a legal cadastral system to multi-purpose cadastral system and from a graphical surveying method to numerical surveying method. As for system of books, maps and acreage units, we will proceed as follows:

Book system: Land book + Forest book - Cadastral book

Map system: Cadastral map + Forest map - Cadastral map

Land category system: Simplified(24 Land categories) - Diversified, Actualized(36 Land categories)

Acreage unit system: Urban area (0.1m~) + Rural area (lm1) - Nationwide (0.1m1)

Scale system: 7 Kinds 3 Kinds(urban, rural, mountain area)

3.3 Master Plan

To avoid trial and error and invest the national budget efficiently we established a master plan which has three stages. The first stage covered 199495 and we developed a prototype of the Parcel Based Land Information System. In the second stage, 199697, we will operate GPS at regular observatories and enact the Law for the Cadastral Reform Project. In the third stage, 19982010, we will refurbish the surveying control network and start the project for the six large cities including Seoul and Pusan. During that same stage we will construct the Parcel Based Land Information System.

3.4 Budget

For the Cadastral Reform Project on the six large cities the necessary budget is expected to reach to about 1,540 million U.S. dollars. The national government will bear the 60% of the total expense, 20% of the budget will be on the provincial governments and 20% on municipal governments.

To carry out the Cadastral Reform Project steadily and continually we will specify regulations about budget, ratio of imposition and methods for securing the budget in the Law for Cadastral Reform Project.

Budget of the Cadastral Reform Project

(unit : millions)

Period

Years

Number of city/county/district

Budget

 

     

Total

national

local

Total

1998-2000

2001-2004

2005-2010

12

3

4

5

69

9

19

41

1,540

180

310

1,050

930

110

190

630

610

70

120

420

 

 4. ACHIEVEMENTS

 4.1 Enforcement of educational institutions

 To educate cadastral manpower in a systematic way cadastral departments in 5 vocational high schools will be established around the country in 1997. To secure excellent cadastral manpower a cadastral information department will be set up in Seoul City University which is one of the famous universities in the metropolitan areas. We have also confirmed a plan to establish 3 cadastral departments in 1998 at provincial junior colleges located in the local areas where there are no educational institutions for cadastral manpower.

 Moreover, we will establish the Department of Cadastral Administration Surveying and Information at the Korean Cadastral College.

 Educational institutions for cadastral manpower

(unit : persons)

Classification

Total

 

Vocational High School

Junior college

University

 

Schools

Students

Schools

Students

Schools

Students

Schools

Students

Total

17

1,265

5

400

9

760

3

105

National

1

40

       

1

40

Provincial

8

445

4

300

3

120

1

25

Private

8

780

1

100

6

640

1

40

 

 4.2 Conducting of a pilot project for the Cadastral Reform Project

 In an area of the city of Changwon (3.1 with about 2,000 parcels) located in Kyungnam province, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Korea Computing Institution and the Korea Cadastral Survey Corporation have carried out a pilot project together.

 Analyzing the results of the project we found that the overhauling of the control netw..ork is necessary because the results of the control surveying were poor. We also found that the new surveying method using GPS is necessary to cut down manpower and budget and to improve the accuracy of surveying results.

 4.3 Conducting an exemplary project to eomputerize cadastral maps

 Selecting Yusung district (177 with about 67,000 parcels) in the Taejon special city as an exemplary place, we constructed a graphical databases integrating cadastral maps and forest maps during 1996. We completed a prototype graphical databases which make it possible to integrate information from previous alphanumeric database and enable computerized cadastral operations and civil affairs administration such as adjustment for change of land categories, subdivisions and merging.

 During 1997, five district administration office buildings in the Taejon special city will be connected through an on-line network. This will improve cadastral civil affairs for looking at maps and issuing of certified copies of maps in an epoch-making way.

 4.4 Operation of GPS regular observatories

Five GPS regular observatories were set up in each part of the country to introduce the GPS surveying method and to confirm accuracy of the control network. In 1996 the Committee for Control Network Using GPS was set up. Research to introduce the WGS '84 are on going.

GPS regular observatory

Classification

Location

Year of establishment

Total

National Observatory

Ministry of Home Affairs

National Geography Institute

Natural resource research Institute

Army Mapping Agency

5 places

Yusung district, Taejon city

Chnagwon city, Kyungnam Province

Suwon city, Kyungki Province

Pohang city, Kyungbuk Province

Yusung district, Taejon city

 

1993

1995

1996

1996

1996

4.5 The Law for the Cadastral Reform Project

 The Korea Legislation Research Institute made a bill for the Cadastral Reform Project. The institute opened hearings three times around the country to gather public opinions. Public notice for the legislation was made available. During 1997 the bill will be presented to the National Assembly after discussions of with relevant organizations and agencies.

 Looking at the bill it has 44 articles. In each chapter there are: contents about general provisions, committees, managing the surveying results, settlement of differences, supplementary rules and penal provisions.

 5. CONCLUSION

 When we conduct the Cadastral Reform Project the technology of surveying and information industry will be greatly improved and a high speed network will be utilized in an epoch- making way.

 For land policy, land information can be shared and this will help to realize fair taxation and the real name system of real estate. It will be possible to allow an objective and reasonable decision making process over land administration for land evaluation, taxation, transaction and use planning.

 For the public it will be possible to improve civil affairs services for reading of cadastral books and maps, issuing of certified copies through the on-line network connecting 15 special city/province offices and 259 city/county/ district offices.

 The Cadastral Reform Project is a national level project which requires:

Lots of technical manpower

Expensive surveying equipment

Budget resources covering a period of 20 to 30 years

It will succeed if:

We have public support for the project

We have senior government support for the project

We continue the education of the technical manpower required for the project

We develop and introduce new technologies vital to the project

We secure proper government financing for the life of the project

We establish responsible organizations to look after the project

Above all the people of the cadastral society in Korea should gather the knowledge as the main group preparing for the information era of the 21st century and work along positive lines with a sense of duty and a sense of responsibility. This commitment will allow the Korean Cadastral Reform Project to be a success.

 REFERENCES

 Kim, Jung-Ho, Korean Cadastral Surveying and its Development, FIG 58th Permanent Committee Report, 1991

 MOHA, Master Plan for the Cadastral Reform Project, 1995

 MOHA, Legislative Bill for the Cadastral Reform Project, 1996

 Ryu, Byoung-Chan, Cadastral Law, Seoul, Namkwang Publishing Co, 1996

 Won, Yong-Hee, History of Korean Cadastre, Seoul Bomunsa, 1977

 AUTHOR'S ADDRESSES

 Ryu, Byoung-Chan

Division of Cadastre

Bureau of Local Tax

Ministry of Home Affairs

77 Sejongro, Chongrogu

Seoul, Korea

Tel: 82-2-731-2540

Fax: 82-2-731-2872

 

Kim, Jung-Ho

Cadastral Engineer

Training Institute

624 Unhak-dong, Yongin-city

Kyonggi-do, Korea

Tel: 82-335-33-4554

Fax: 82-335-36-1584