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Roads, rivers & public waters

Public Waters Occupancy and Use Permit Application — Managing Authority, Occupancy Fees, Permit Periods and Annexed Form No. 4 Documents

Under Article 8 of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act, anyone who installs artificial structures such as wharves, bridges or buildings, dredges or excavates, extracts soil or sand, or draws in or discharges water in public waters, meaning the sea, the foreshore and state-owned rivers, lakes, ditches and similar waters, must obtain an occupancy and use permit from the public waters management authority. Rivers governed by the River Act or the Small River Maintenance Act, waters within agricultural production infrastructure, and waters that are port facilities or fishing port facilities are handled under those laws instead (Article 3). The port areas of state-managed ports and the exclusive economic zone are permitted by the regional oceans and fisheries office, the port areas of locally managed ports by the city or province, and other public waters by the city, county or district. The application uses Annexed Form No. 4 of the Enforcement Rule, there is no application fee, and the processing period is 14 days where an implementation plan approval is required and 7 days where an implementation plan report is required (excluding consultation and opinion-gathering periods). Permit periods are up to 30 years for solid artificial structures, 15 years for other artificial structures and 5 years for dredging, extraction and similar uses, and occupancy and use fees are paid every year.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-10-13 · Updated 2026-10-13

Procedure

  1. 1. Confirm the applicable law and the managing authority

    Check with topographic and cadastral maps whether the site is sea beyond the coastline, foreshore between the coastline and registered land, or state-owned river or ditch waters. If the site is within a river area, a small river area, agricultural production infrastructure, or port or fishing port facilities, the permit procedure of that law applies instead of this Act. The regional oceans and fisheries office manages state-managed trade and coastal port areas and the exclusive economic zone, the city or province manages locally managed port areas, and the city, county or district manages the rest.

  2. 2. Identify right holders and consultation requirements

    If there are right holders listed in Article 12 of the Enforcement Decree, such as existing permit holders, holders of fishery or aquaculture licenses, persons with fishing entry rights, or owners or occupants of adjacent land or structures, a permit is issued only with their consent (Article 12(2) of the Act). Also check whether the project is subject to environmental impact assessment or marine use consultation or assessment so that the consultation results can be attached on schedule.

  3. 3. Prepare and submit the application and design documents

    Submit the Annexed Form No. 4 application with a business plan, area calculation drawings and design documents, a 1:25,000 topographic map or coastal information map marking the site, and a certified copy of the cadastral map. The authority consults related administrative agencies and, where necessary, hears interested parties such as fishers, and an agency asked for consultation must give its opinion within 20 days (Article 7 of the Enforcement Decree). If the requested period is within the statutory limit, at least half of the requested period is in principle granted (Article 11(3) of the Enforcement Decree).

  4. 4. Receive the permit and pay occupancy and use fees

    When the permit is granted, a permit certificate in Annexed Form No. 5 is issued and the permit is publicly announced. For permits of one year or more, the fee up to the first May 31 is paid when the permit is granted, and afterwards a one-year fee is billed as of June 1 each year and paid within 20 days of the notice (Article 11 of the Enforcement Rule). For artificial structures in waters managed by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries the fee is based on 3/100 of the officially assessed individual land price of adjacent land, and waters managed by cities, counties and districts follow municipal ordinances within that range.

  5. 5. Implementation plan approval or report and completion

    Works whose scale and total cost meet the Presidential Decree criteria require implementation plan approval within one year of the permit, and other activities require an implementation plan report within six months, before construction starts (Article 17 of the Act). After the works are finished, apply for a completion inspection or report completion, and because structures must be removed and the waters restored when the permit period ends, apply in advance for a period change permit if continued use is needed.

Required documents

  • Application for public waters occupancy and use permit (Annexed Form No. 4 of the Enforcement Rule of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act)
  • Business plan (purpose, location, area or extraction volume, period and construction method)
  • Area calculation drawings and design documents (for new construction, reconstruction or extension of buildings, prepared according to Annexed Table 1 of the Enforcement Rule)
  • 1:25,000 topographic map or coastal information map marking the application area (nautical chart for the exclusive economic zone)
  • Certified copy of the cadastral map of the application area or adjacent land (nautical chart for territorial sea and exclusive economic zone)
  • Consent of right holders related to public waters occupancy and use (where right holders under Article 12(1) of the Enforcement Decree exist)
  • Environmental impact assessment consultation results or marine use consultation or assessment opinions (applicable projects only)
  • Document proving the representative (joint applications by two or more persons)

Fees

Industry range of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of won · We provide a quote after consultation, depending on the purpose and area of occupancy, the scope of design documents and right holder consents, and whether implementation plan approval is required. There is no permit application fee, and occupancy and use fees are charged annually by the managing authority.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 2
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 3
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 4
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 8
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 11
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 12
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 13
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 15
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 17
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Article 21
  • Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Articles 62 and 64
  • Enforcement Decree of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Articles 2, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 73
  • Enforcement Rule of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Articles 4 and 11
  • Enforcement Rule of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Annexed Table 2
  • Enforcement Rule of the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act Annexed Form No. 4
  • National Land Planning and Utilization Act Article 61

Checked against the statutes on

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

  • Letting another person occupy or use permitted public waters violates Article 8(8) and is punishable by imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won, and using the waters beyond the permit period without a change permit is subject to the same penalty and an indemnity charge.
  • Missing the implementation plan approval deadline (one year from the permit) or report deadline (six months), or failing to pay occupancy fees, may lead to permit cancellation or an order to relocate structures, so manage deadlines from the date the permit certificate is received.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an application fee for a public waters occupancy permit?
No. The fee field of Annexed Form No. 4 of the Enforcement Rule states none. However, once the permit is granted, occupancy and use fees must be paid every year, and for permits shorter than one year the fee for the whole period is paid at once when the permit is granted.
How is the public waters occupancy fee calculated?
The basis depends on the purpose of occupancy. In waters managed by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, artificial structures such as piers, revetments and buildings are charged 3/100 of the individual land price of adjacent land, marine bridge decks and submarine cables 0.5/100, and plant cultivation 0.5/100, on an annual basis (Annexed Table 2 of the Enforcement Rule). Waters managed by cities, counties and districts follow ordinances within these criteria, and amounts under 2,000 won are not collected.
Do I need a public waters occupancy permit to build a bridge over a river?
If the River Act applies to the river, you need a river occupancy permit under Article 33 of the River Act rather than a permit under the Public Waters Act. Small rivers follow Article 14 of the Small River Maintenance Act, and waters within agricultural production infrastructure such as irrigation channels follow the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act, because Article 3 of the Public Waters Act excludes these waters from its occupancy and use provisions.
What happens if I use public waters without a permit?
It is subject to criminal penalties and an indemnity charge. Article 62 of the Public Waters Act punishes occupancy or use without a permit by imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30,000,000 won, and Article 15 requires an indemnity charge of 120/100 of the occupancy or use fee. Installed structures must be removed and the waters restored under Article 21.
If I obtain a development activity permit, do I still need a separate public waters occupancy permit?
It can be processed together after consultation with the relevant agencies. Article 61 of the National Land Planning and Utilization Act deems a public waters occupancy and use permit and implementation plan approval or report to have been obtained for matters consulted in advance when a development activity permit is granted, so public waters documents must be submitted with the development activity permit application. Even when deemed, occupancy and use fees are charged (Article 13 of the Public Waters Act).
Does an administrative agent handle public waters occupancy permit applications?
Yes. Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office confirms the applicable law and managing authority, drafts right holder consent forms, prepares the Annexed Form No. 4 application and business plan, organizes attachments and handles submission to the managing authority, responds to supplementation requests, and prepares implementation plan reports. Design documents and survey results are attached as prepared by the relevant engineers.

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Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

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This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.