Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of this Ordinance is to contribute to the healthy growth and self-realization of children by regulating the necessary matters regarding the creation of a play environment in urban parks so that children, who are the subjects of the right to play, the right to rest, and play culture, can play appropriately according to their age. &#lt;Amended on May 20, 2024&#gt;

Article 2 (Definitions) 1. “Child” refers to a person under the age of 13 as defined in Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Child Safety Management Act.
2. “Play environment” refers to all human and material environments necessary to guarantee the right to play to children and provide opportunities for children to play.
3. “Right to play” refers to the right of children to freely enjoy play, rest, and leisure appropriate to their age and to live a happy life, and refers to all rights to play recognized in international treaties to which the Republic of Korea has acceded or ratified, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
4. “Urban park” refers to an urban park according to Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Act on Urban Parks and Green Areas.
5. “Children’s play facility” refers to play facilities used by children pursuant to Article 2, Paragraph 2 of the Act on the Safety Control of Children’s Amusement Facilities.

Article 3 (Duties) (1) The Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor (hereinafter referred to as the “Mayor”) shall endeavor to create a play environment in which all children can get together without discrimination and play freely. <Amended on May 20, 2024>
(2) The Mayor shall establish measures necessary to create a safe environment for children, such as the maintenance of hazardous facilities so that children can safely use children's play facilities (hereinafter referred to as "play facilities"). <Amended on May 20, 2024>
(3) The Mayor shall respect the children’s right to play throughout the entire process of establishing and implementing the play policy and shall endeavor to ensure that the opinions of children are sufficiently reflected. <Amended on May 20, 2024>
(4) The Mayor shall endeavor to provide a multi-layered play environment by considering various regional characteristics such as population size and user demand. <Amended on May 20, 2024>
(5) The Mayor shall endeavor to foster a healthy play culture by developing various events and programs related to the play environment. <Amended on May 20, 2024>

Article 4 (Scope of Application) This Article shall apply to urban parks managed by the Mayor and an autonomous Gu head (hereinafter referred to as the “head of Gu”).

Article 5 (Basic Direction of Creating a Play Environment) 1. Creation of a play environment where all children can play together without discrimination
2. Creation of a play environment through continuous communication with children, parents, local residents, and local organizations
3. Design of play facilities to be integrated play spaces where all children can play together, experience challenges, and unleash their adventures and imaginations
4. Consideration of the demand for use, usage patterns, and complementary functions between play facilities when installing play facilities, and placement for easy access by all
5. Use of eco-friendly play equipment materials that take children's health and the environment into consideration

Article 6 (Establishment of a Play Environment Formation Plan, Etc.) (1) The Mayor shall establish a Seoul Metropolitan City Play Environment Formation Plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Formation Plan”) every five (5) years to guarantee children’s right to play and promote a play culture.
(2) The formation plan shall include the following items.
1. Basic direction for creating a play environment
2. Goals and implementation strategies for creating a play environment
3. Fact-finding surveys and current status analysis
4. Guidelines for the construction of play facilities and matters concerning play environment evaluation
5. Establishment of a public-private cooperation system for efficient policy implementation
6. A plan to secure funds for the promotion of a play environment creation project
7. Improvement of laws and systems related to creating a play environment
8. Other matters recognized and deemed necessary by the Mayor for creating play environments
(3) When establishing a formation plan, the Mayor must actively solicit opinions from citizens, relevant experts, or the heads of a Gu.
(4) The Mayor must reflect the results of the fact-finding survey under Article 7 in the formation plan, and if the evaluation indicators under Article 19 are developed and evaluated, the evaluation results must also be reflected in the establishment of the formation plan.

Article 7 (Fact-Finding Survey) (1) The Mayor may conduct a fact-finding survey on the actual conditions of the play environment in order to efficiently establish and promote a formation plan.
(2) The Mayor may entrust the fact-finding survey pursuant to Paragraph 1 to a relevant specialized research institute, corporation, or organization.

Article 8 (Projects to Create a Play Environment) (1) The Mayor may promote the following projects to create a child-centered play environment.
1. New construction and arrangement of play facilities
2. Development and linkage of programs for the use of play facilities and the promotion of play activities
3. Improvement and education of awareness for the joint ownership and dissemination of play culture
4. Establishment and operation of a public-private network related to play
5. Holding research meetings, debate meetings, symposiums, etc. on policies and systems related to the development of play environments
6. Other projects deemed necessary to create and improve play environments
(2) The Mayor may request cooperation from the heads of a Gu in relation to the implementation of the business pursuant to Paragraph 1.

Article 9 (Pilot/Public Offering Project) (1) The Mayor may conduct a pilot or public offering project (hereinafter referred to as “pilot project”) to efficiently implement the project to create play environments and promote play culture.
(2) In cases of implementing a pilot project pursuant to Paragraph 1, the Mayor may hold a public offering targeting the heads of a Gu or citizens/organizations, etc., and may select pilot project sites by autonomous Gu, taking into account regional characteristics.
(3) The Mayor shall separately determine details regarding the method of public offering, promotion method, operation, evaluation, etc. in relation to the implementation of the pilot project.

Article 10 (Adjudication Support) (1) The Mayor may subsidize a portion of the necessary expenses, within the scope of the budget, of an autonomous Gu that implements projects to create a play environment.
(2) The Mayor may establish and implement various incentive systems within the scope of the budget to promote the creation of a play environment.
(3) For expense subsidies, etc. pursuant to Paragraph 1, the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Management of Local Subsidies shall apply.

Article 11 (Establishment of a Committee) (1) In order to efficiently promote the policy of creating a play environment, the Mayor may establish a Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Park Children’s Play Environment Creation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”), and the term of existence shall be five (5) years.
(2) The Committee shall deliberate or provide advice on the following matters (excluding matters deliberated by the Urban Park Committee).
1. Matters concerning the formation plan pursuant to Article 6
2. Matters concerning projects under Article 8 and pilot projects under Article 9
3. Matters concerning the establishment and revision of guidelines for the construction of play facilities pursuant to Article 18
4. Matters concerning the evaluation criteria for play environments pursuant to Article 19
5. Matters concerning the selection of project sites such as pilot projects
6. Other matters deemed necessary for the creation of play environments

Article 12 (Committee Composition, Etc.) (1) The Committee shall be composed of no more than eleven (11) appointed members, including two (2) Co-Chairpersons and ex officio members.
(2) The Co-Chairpersons shall be one (1) member elected by vote from among the commissioned members and the Director in charge of creating play environments.
(3) The Mayor shall appoint or commission members from among those with extensive knowledge and experience in creating a play environment, including members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, play-related experts, citizens, and public officials. In such cases, regional, age, and gender balance must be considered.
(4) To handle the affairs of the Committee, one (1) administrative secretary shall be appointed. The secretary shall be the team leader in charge of creating play environments.
(5) The term of office of a commissioned member shall be two (2) years but may be extended only twice, and the term of office of an ex officio member shall be the period of service in that position.
(6) Other specific matters, such as the composition of the Committee, shall be determined separately by the Mayor.

Article 13 (Operation of the Committee, etc.) (1) The Chairperson shall represent the Committee and oversee the affairs of the Committee.
(2) When the Chairperson is unable to perform their duties due to unavoidable reasons, a member designated in advance by the Chairperson shall perform their duties.
(3) The Chairperson convenes a meeting when they deem it necessary.
(4) The Committee shall convene with the attendance of a majority of its members and make decisions with the approval of a majority of the members present.
(5) A Committee member shall be excluded from deliberation and advice on an agenda item if any of the following applies.
1. If a member has a direct or indirect interest in the relevant deliberation or advisory agenda item
2. If the member is or was a relative of a party to the agenda in question
3. If a member testifies, makes a statement, advises, researches, provides services, or makes an appraisal on the relevant agenda item
4. If a member or a corporation to which the member belongs is or was an agent of a party to the agenda in question
(6) When there are circumstances that make it difficult to expect fair deliberation or advice from a member of the Committee on the agenda, the Committee may, by resolution, exclude the member from deliberation or advice on the agenda.
(7) If a member falls under any of the reasons in Paragraph 5 and Paragraph 6, they must voluntarily refrain from deliberation or advice on the relevant agenda item.
(8) Matters concerning the operation, management, and payment of stipends of the Committee, other than those stipulated in this Ordinance, shall be governed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Various Committees and the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Payment of Committee Stipends and Travel Expenses.

Article 14 (General Advisor) (1) The Mayor may appoint a private sector expert with extensive experience and expertise in creating a play environment as a general advisor.
(2) The general advisor under Paragraph 1 shall provide opinions or provide advice on the following matters.
1. Planning, designing, and establishing a plan according to the creation of play environments
2. Planning and space configuration for play space use
3. Providing opinions on play facility design, basic and detailed design, etc.
4. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor for creating play environments
(3) The Mayor may pay stipends, etc. to the general advisor within the scope of the budget.
(4) The specific details, such as qualifications and appointment of the general advisor pursuant to Article 1, shall be determined separately by the Mayor.

Article 15 (Council of Residents) (1) Local residents, including children, parents, and resident groups, may form a council of residents to participate in the entire process of designing, constructing, and managing playground facilities.
(2) The Mayor shall endeavor to ensure the active operation of the council of residents and the voluntary participation of local residents.

Article 16 (Urban Park Play Activists) 1. Implementation of various recreational programs to promote a healthy play culture
2. Safety management of playgrounds and improvement of play environments
3. Promotion of campaigns to enhance awareness of play and dissemination of play culture

Article 17 (Establishment of a Cooperative System) In order to effectively promote the play environment policy, the Mayor must establish a cooperative system with the central government, an autonomous Gu, and play-related organizations or groups.

Article 18 (Establishment of Guidelines) The Mayor must establish guidelines for the construction of play facilities to create a comprehensive and systematic play environment.

Article 19 (Evaluation of a Play Environment) (1) The Mayor may develop a play environment evaluation index (hereinafter referred to as “evaluation index”) to improve the quality of the play environment.
(2) The Mayor may disseminate and utilize evaluation indicators to ensure the appropriateness of management and operation of play facilities.

Article 20 (Provision of Information) The Mayor shall provide local residents with information on the functional characteristics, usage methods, location, quantity, etc., in an easily understandable manner, so that they do not experience inconvenience in using the play facilities installed or maintained pursuant to the play environment creation project of Article 8.

Article 21 (Commendation) (1) The Mayor may give awards to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to creating play environments and fostering play culture.
(2) The specific procedures pursuant to Article 1 shall be in accordance with the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Commendation.

Article 22 (Enforcement Rule)

Addendum <No. 9226, May 20, 2024>
This Ordinance shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.