A review of legal frameworks and mitigation projects for urban inundation in South Korea and Abroad

Jungho Seo; Yeonjoo Kim; Ju-Young Shin

doi:10.3741/JKWRA.2026.59.7.751

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2026 Vol.59, Issue 7 Preview Page

A review of legal frameworks and mitigation projects for urban inundation in South Korea and Abroad 국내외 도시침수 대응사업 및 법·제도 분석과 발전 방향

31 July 2026. pp. 751-760

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Abstract

Urban inundation is a complex hazard that occurs either independently or in combination through fluvial flooding caused by increasing water levels in urban streams and pluvial flooding resulting from insufficient drainage capacity of sewer systems and stormwater facilities. Such events lead to human casualties and property damage, while simultaneously causing widespread socio-economic losses through disruptions to critical urban infrastructure. Urban inundation has been managed through a combination of structural measures grounded in statutory planning and facility-specific design standards, alongside non-structural measures such as preparedness and forecasting systems. This study reviews the legal and institutional frameworks and major government-led projects related to urban inundation management in Korea based on the literature review. In addition, urban inundation mitigation projects implemented between 2013 and 2023 were analyzed to examine overlaps and linkages among projects across different ministries. Our results show that individual projects are differentiated according to their legal basis and functional objectives, yet some projects have been implemented concurrently within the same areas. Although institutional mechanisms aimed at integrated watershed-scale flood management have been introduced, their practical application remains limited due to insufficient implementation records and inadequate legal foundations to support project execution. Furthermore, by examining international practices in integrated water management, deep underground stormwater storage tunnels, and green infrastructure, this study highlights the need for future urban inundation management in Korea to evolve toward a more comprehensive and systematic framework. Such a framework should incorporate watershed-scale planning, explicitly consider the interactions between fluvial and pluvial flooding, and integrate diverse structural and non-structural measures to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of urban flood risk mitigation.

Keywords

Urban inundation

Overlap assessment

Watershed-scale flood management

Legal framework

도시침수는 도시하천의 수위 상승에 따른 외수 범람(Fluvial flooding)과 하수도 및 우수 배제시설의 통수 능력 부족으로 발생하는 내수 침수(Pluvial flooding)가 단독 또는 복합적으로 나타나는 재해로, 인명 및 재산 피해뿐 아니라 사회기반시설 기능 저하를 통해 광범위한 사회·경제적 손실을 초래한다. 이러한 피해를 예방하기 위해 국내에서는 법정계획과 시설별 설계기준에 기반한 구조적 대책과 사전 대비 및 예측 시스템을 활용한 비구조적 대책이 병행되고 있다. 본 논문은 문헌 검토를 바탕으로 국내 도시침수 대응과 관련된 법·제도와 부처별 주요 사업을 정리하고, 2013년부터 2023년까지 추진된 도시침수 대응 사업을 대상으로 사업 간 중복성과 연계성을 분석하였다. 부처별 사업은 법적 근거와 기능에 따라 구분되어 직접적인 사업 내용의 중복은 발생하지 않았으나, 동일 지역에서 복수의 사업이 병행 추진되는 사례가 확인되었다. 또한 유역 단위의 도시침수 대응을 목표로 도입된 제도가 존재함에도 불구하고, 사업 수행 실적의 부족과 사업 이행을 뒷받침할 법적 기반의 미비로 인해 적용 확대에는 한계가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 더 나아가 국외의 통합 물관리 정책과 대심도 빗물저류터널, 그린인프라 등 다양한 침수 저감 수단을 검토한 결과, 향후 국내 도시침수 대응은 유역 단위에서 내·외수 연계를 고려하고 다양한 구조적·비구조적 대책을 종합적으로 연계한 체계적인 대응 체계로 발전할 필요가 있음을 시사한다.

키워드

도시침수

중복성 검토

유역 단위 홍수 관리

법·제도

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Information

Publisher :KOREA WATER RESOURECES ASSOCIATION
Publisher(Ko) :한국수자원학회
Journal Title :Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
Journal Title(Ko) :한국수자원학회 논문집
Volume : 59
No :7
Pages :751-760
Received Date : 2026-03-17
Revised Date : 2026-05-13
Accepted Date : 2026-05-29
DOI :https://doi.org/10.3741/JKWRA.2026.59.7.751

Journal of Korea Water Resources Association ISSN:2799-8746(Print) 2799-8754(Online) 한국수자원학회 논문집

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