In the process of developing the Third New Town project, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) has filed nearly 3,000 land dispute lawsuits. Of these, two out of three cases are concentrated in the Goyang Changneung district.
According to data submitted by Democratic Party lawmaker Bu Seung-chan to the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on September 28, a total of 2,959 land dispute lawsuits have been filed by LH in the Third New Town project.
A land dispute lawsuit is a civil suit in which the project implementer requests the court to transfer ownership of land or buildings when the transfer does not occur even after compensation procedures are completed during the new town development process. This is the final legal step taken to proceed with the project when voluntary relocation does not happen.
By district, Goyang Changneung accounts for 2,031 cases, or 68.6% of the total. The initial housing supply plan for Goyang Changneung was set at 37,889 units, which represents 21.6% of the total for all six Third New Towns, but the proportion of land dispute lawsuits is more than three times higher.
In Goyang Changneung, LH has filed land dispute lawsuits against 806 facilities, including residential, industrial, and commercial properties. The annual breakdown shows 108 cases in 2024, 1,140 in 2025, and 783 this year. Of the total 2,031 cases, 1,544 have been concluded, while 487 are still ongoing.
In other Third New Town project areas, the number of land dispute lawsuits is 416 in Hanam Gyosan, 257 in Namyangju Wangseok 1, 226 in Namyangju Wangseok 2, 26 in Incheon Gyeyang, and 3 in Bucheon Daejang. The number of lawsuits in Goyang Changneung exceeds the combined total of 928 cases from the other five districts.
The average duration of lawsuits is 3 months for Goyang Changneung, 3.5 months for Hanam Gyosan, 5 months for Namyangju Wangseok 2, 6 months for both Namyangju Wangseok and Bucheon Daejang, and 7 months for Incheon Gyeyang. The longest cases took 16 months in Incheon Gyeyang, 15 months in Namyangju Wangseok, and 14 months in Goyang Changneung.
However, LH has not separately managed the reasons for the non-relocation of those subject to the lawsuits. LH stated to Bu's office, “The reasons for non-relocation are entirely based on the refusal of the individuals to relocate, which the corporation cannot accurately ascertain or manage.”
This has led to calls for a process to identify and manage the causes of conflicts on-site alongside the land dispute lawsuits. There is growing concern that to accelerate the supply of the Third New Town, a system must be established to categorize and manage the reasons for relocation delays, in addition to the lawsuit procedures following compensation.
Bu stated, “It is contradictory that LH operates a joint task force for relocation, demolition, and cultural heritage while failing to manage why relocation is not occurring, especially in areas like Goyang Changneung where land dispute lawsuits are actively pursued. A more detailed examination of the reasons for delays in relocation is essential to enhance community acceptance and increase the pace of supply.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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