Ruling Party's Plan to Empower District Chiefs on Reconstruction Sparks Immediate Backlash from Seoul City Hall, Intensifying Conflict

Seoul city officials immediately pushed back against a proposal by the ruling party and government to transfer authority over small-scale reconstruction projects to district chiefs. The plan, which would empower local leaders for developments under 500 households, was immediately labeled "ineffective" by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, signaling a deepening rift in housing policy.

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We will improve systems so that authority can be given to basic local government heads for redevelopment and reconstruction under 500 households, and we will pursue related legislation in the National Assembly.

Park Sung-joon, the ruling Democratic Party's senior spokesperson, announced the intention to improve systems to grant authority to district leaders for redevelopment and reconstruction projects under 500 units, citing requests from Seoul district chiefs. He stated that relevant legislation would be pursued in the National Assembly.

However, Seoul officials dismissed the proposal as a "hollow measure" and a "slogan that does not understand Seoul's reconstruction project sites." They argued that simply changing the permitting authority would not expedite projects. "Reconstruction and redevelopment projects are not expedited simply by changing the permitting authority," a city official stated. "We must consider the implications for infrastructure such as roads, parks, and schools, as well as the impact on surrounding areas, along with zoning and height restrictions."

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It is a hollow measure and a slogan that does not understand Seoul's reconstruction project sites.

Seoul also raised concerns about potential "haphazard development" if urban planning decisions are fragmented across individual autonomous districts. The city emphasized that smaller projects often face difficulties due to a lack of profitability. Furthermore, Seoul officials pointed out that the announcement was made unilaterally, without prior consultation with the city government.

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Reconstruction and redevelopment projects are not expedited simply by changing the permitting authority. We must consider the implications for infrastructure such as roads, parks, and schools, as well as the impact on surrounding areas, along with zoning and height restrictions.

This dispute over reconstruction authority echoes previous disagreements, notably concerning housing supply plans for the Yongsan Park site. Both the central government and Seoul city officials have clashed over utilizing parts of the park for housing, with the government citing a lack of available land in Seoul and the city emphasizing the need to preserve the park's original purpose. Differences also persist over the scale of housing supply in the Yongsan International Business District, with the government proposing 10,000 units and Seoul suggesting 6,000 to 8,000 units, citing concerns about infrastructure strain.

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If urban planning decisions are divided into individual autonomous district units, there is a risk of haphazard development in each region.