Permit Procedure for an Intermediate Waste Disposal Business — Notice of Suitability of the Business Plan and Facility and Technical Personnel Standards by Disposal Method

Procedure

1. 1. Decide the disposal method and the waste to be handled

   First decide which of incineration, mechanical disposal, and chemical or biological disposal you will carry out, and the types of waste to be disposed of. The minimum facility capacity and the qualifications of technical personnel differ by method.

2. 2. Submit the waste treatment business plan

   Attach the disposal plan (plans for facility installation, equipment and securing technical capability) to the business plan and submit it to the metropolitan city or province (si/do) or the regional environmental office having jurisdiction over the planned site of the facility. If the facility is an emission facility, also submit the documents for the emission facility permit or report; if it is an incineration facility, also submit an environmental review report.

3. 3. Review of suitability

   The administrative agency reviews the grounds for disqualification, whether the location conflicts with other statutes, whether the facilities, equipment and technical capability meet the permit standards, and the effect on the water quality of water supply sources and on environmental standards, and then gives notice of whether the plan is suitable. Location restrictions, a mismatch between treatment capacity and volume, and differences in figures between documents often come up as grounds for unsuitability.

4. 4. Install the facilities and secure personnel

   Put in place the facilities, equipment and technical personnel within 2 years from the date of receiving the notice of suitability (3 years if an incineration facility must be installed). If there is an unavoidable reason such as a natural disaster, you can apply for an extension of up to 1 year in total.

5. 5. Apply for the permit

   Attach the specifications of the facilities and equipment and the qualification documents for technical capability to the permit application form and submit it. If you meet the requirements in accordance with the plan for which the notice of suitability was given and apply, the administrative agency grants the permit without delay.

Required documents

• Waste treatment business plan
• Disposal plan for the waste to be disposed of (including plans for facility installation, equipment and securing technical capability)
• Documents attached to the application for an emission facility installation permit or to the report (if the facility is an emission facility)
• Environmental review report (for an incineration facility; can be replaced by the assessment report if subject to environmental impact assessment)
• Permit application form and specifications of facilities and equipment
• Status of technical capability held and documents proving qualifications
• Documents showing the right to use the site and building

Fees

Service fees in the industry for preparing the business plan and permit documents start from around several million won and vary greatly with the disposal method, whether an environmental review report is required, and the number of supplementation rounds. We will advise you after a consultation based on your facility plan.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Wastes Control Act, Article 25
• Enforcement Rule of the Wastes Control Act, Article 28
• Enforcement Rule of the Wastes Control Act, attached Table 7

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-01

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

• Before a site contract or an equipment order, first check whether the location conflicts with other statutes.
• Make the treatment capacity and volume figures identical across the business plan, the disposal plan and the emission facility documents.

Frequently asked questions