Exclusion from Prohibited Facilities in Educational Environment Protection Zones — Review Procedure for Lodging and Singing Rooms within 200m of a School

Procedure

1. 1. Check the zone type and the applicable item

   First check from the zone notice and cadastral map whether the planned site is in the absolute or relative protection zone. The absolute protection zone extends 50m in a straight line from the school gate, and the relative protection zone is the area within 200m of the school boundary excluding the absolute zone. Also check which item of Article 9 your business falls under. Singing practice rooms and game provision businesses are not prohibited at all in the zones of kindergartens and universities.

2. 2. Determine whether the facility can be reviewed

   No exclusion is possible through review in the absolute protection zone. Even in the relative zone, items 1 to 13 (facilities exceeding emission limits, cremation and enshrinement facilities, slaughterhouses, restricted screening cinemas, establishments barred to minors, etc.) cannot be reviewed. Items that can be reviewed include lodging and tourist accommodation (item 27), karaoke bars and entertainment bars (item 26), singing practice rooms (item 24), game provision businesses and PC rooms (item 19), designated tobacco retailers and vending machines (item 18), and gas manufacturing, filling and storage facilities (item 14).

3. 3. Submit the exclusion application and attachments

   Submit the Application for Exclusion from Prohibited Activities and Facilities (Form No. 2 of the Enforcement Rule) with a surrounding area map showing the locations of the school and the planned business site. If the facility has no building register, attach the facility or architectural design drawings. The building register and land use plan confirmation are checked through shared administrative information, and if the applicant does not consent, the applicant attaches them directly.

4. 4. Local committee review and notice of result

   The Local Educational Environment Protection Committee meets with a majority of all members present and decides on exclusion with the approval of at least 2/3 of members present. The chair may have the head of the school concerned attend and give an opinion, and must in principle allow school steering committee members or parents to observe on request. The result is notified to the applicant using Form No. 3.

5. 5. School head's request for re-review and business permits

   A school head who objects to the result may request re-review through the school steering committee within 10 days of learning of the result, and the committee reviews again within 15 days of receiving the request. After receiving the exclusion decision, apply for the business report or permit with the district office or other relevant agency. For prohibited facilities without review, the relevant agency must take measures such as business suspension or refusal or revocation of permits and reports.

Required documents

• Application for Exclusion from Prohibited Activities and Facilities (Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Form No. 2)
• Surrounding area map showing the protection zone school and the planned business site
• Facility or architectural design drawings (if there is no building register)
• Building register and land use plan confirmation (if you do not consent to shared administrative information)
• Photos and explanatory material on site conditions such as distance to the school, school routes and entrance direction (reference material for review)
• Letter of authorization (for submission by an agent)

Fees

Generally in the range of several hundred thousand won to several million won in the industry · We provide a quote after consultation depending on the business type, distance to the school and school route conditions, the scope of site research and reference materials, and whether the business report or permit is handled together. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 5
• Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 8
• Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 9
• Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 10
• Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 12
• Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 16
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 10
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 11
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 14
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 21
• Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 22
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 4
• Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Protection of Educational Environments, Article 7

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-07

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• If you sign a lease or start interior work before the exclusion decision, costs are hard to recover if it is refused, so check the zone type and whether review is possible before signing.
• Even after an exclusion decision, the school head may request re-review within 10 days of learning of the result, so plan the business opening date allowing for the re-review period.

Frequently asked questions