Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Kim Young-bae, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul chapter, have agreed to collaborate on expanding housing supply in the city through revitalizing redevelopment and reconstruction efforts. However, they reaffirmed their differing positions regarding housing development on the main site of Yongsan Park and the release of additional greenbelt land.
According to the Seoul city government, the two leaders discussed key issues, including the expansion of housing supply, revitalization of redevelopment and reconstruction, and the utilization of Yongsan Park during a luncheon meeting on the 23rd.
Both sides agreed that to effectively increase housing supply in Seoul, the pace of redevelopment and reconstruction projects must be accelerated, emphasizing the need for cooperation between the city government and the ruling party.
Mayor Oh stressed that the government should engage in thorough consultations with the city before announcing new supply candidate sites, rather than seeking cooperation after the announcement. He explained that prior consultations would allow for a review of the actual supply feasibility and potential issues, leading to more viable alternatives.
On the issue of Yongsan Park, the two leaders maintained their differences. While Mayor Oh acknowledged the need to expand housing supply in Seoul, he clearly opposed using the main site of Yongsan Park for housing development, citing its direct impact on citizens' quality of life.
Yongsan Park is designated as a national park under special legislation to develop land returned from U.S. military bases, and significant time is required for various administrative procedures and soil contamination cleanup, making it difficult to commence construction within the current government's term, according to the Seoul city government's assessment.
Nonetheless, Mayor Oh proposed that they work together with the government and ruling party to identify alternative sites that could yield practical supply effects. The city plans to actively consider sites suitable for housing construction, such as the Tancheon Water Recycling Center, even if it takes some time.
The city believes that expanding supply by utilizing semi-industrial areas, transit-oriented developments, and aging low-rise residential areas, along with expediting permits for ongoing maintenance projects, would be more effective than announcing new housing sites.
In response to Chairman Kim's claim that Mayor Oh's stance on greenbelt land has changed compared to the past, the city refuted this assertion. The city maintained its principle of only considering limited areas that have already been damaged in response to the government's request to release greenbelt land, stating that there would be no additional releases. It explained that the agreement to supply long-term rental housing for newlyweds, known as 'Mirilai House,' was based on negotiations with the government.
Previously, Mayor Oh agreed to supply approximately 20,000 housing units in the Seoripul district, with 11,000 of those designated for Mirilai House. The city views this as an exceptional agreement based on limited use of damaged areas and public interest, rather than a change in its stance on greenbelt land.
Moving forward, the city plans to closely collaborate with the government and ruling party to revitalize redevelopment and reconstruction efforts and jointly seek sites that can provide practical supply effects instead of Yongsan Park.
This meeting is significant as it opens a pathway for cooperation in prior consultations and alternative site discovery amid ongoing conflicts between the central government and the Seoul city government over supply methods and target sites. However, the gap regarding Yongsan Park and the principle of preserving greenbelt land remains, indicating that coordination between both sides will be crucial in future government supply policy formulation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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