As the government prepares to announce additional housing supply measures, tensions are escalating between the government, ruling party, and Seoul City. Oh Se-hoon, the Mayor of Seoul, has expressed opposition to utilizing parts of Yongsan Park for housing, following his objections to expanding housing supply in the Yongsan International Business District and further easing of greenbelt restrictions. The ruling party has begun to question Oh's willingness to cooperate with government housing initiatives.
On August 6, during a public forum on real estate normalization held at Seoul City Hall, Oh stated, "I absolutely cannot agree to using parts of Yongsan Park for housing supply. It is a space that must be preserved for future generations."
Oh has also opposed the government's plan to supply 10,000 housing units in the Yongsan International Business District and the additional easing of greenbelt restrictions. The Seoul City government maintains that, considering the area's international business functions and infrastructure, the maximum number of housing units in the Yongsan International Business District should be limited to 8,000. Oh reportedly conveyed this position during a lunch meeting with Kim Yong-beom, head of the Presidential Office's Policy Office, on August 5.
With Seoul City expressing its opposition to the government's key housing supply plans, cracks in policy cooperation are already appearing ahead of the expected announcement next week. Concerns are growing that without the cooperation of Seoul City, which holds the authority over permits and urban planning, the implementation of these projects may face significant delays.
Members of the Democratic Party from Seoul held a meeting with the Seoul City Council on the same day to criticize the city's housing supply policies. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-kun remarked, "It is questionable whether Mayor Oh will cooperate with the large-scale housing projects the government intends to pursue in Seoul."
Another Democratic Party lawmaker, Kim Young-bae, argued, "While Mayor Oh claims he will supply 90,000 units through redevelopment and reconstruction, over 220,000 units will be lost due to these projects," asserting that actual housing supply is not being realized.
The two sides are also at odds over the supply effects of redevelopment projects. The government and ruling party believe that the net increase in housing units from redevelopment and reconstruction is limited and could trigger significant short-term relocation demands. In contrast, Seoul City argues that redevelopment is the most realistic means of supplying housing in a city with limited available land.
Oh countered, "There is a fundamental difference in our understanding of redevelopment projects. The city can adequately manage and resolve the side effects of relocation demands." Seoul City plans to commence construction on 310,000 housing units through redevelopment projects by 2031.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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