Seoul Residents Petition President to Preserve Church, Villages in Seoripul Development Zone

A significant coalition of over 10,000 individuals, including parishioners from the Umyeon-dong Catholic Church and local residents, has submitted a petition to the Presidential Office. Their plea is to preserve a small, 1.8% portion of the Seoripul development zone, specifically encompassing their church and the Songdong and Sikyu villages.

The petition comes in response to the government's November announcement to release four green belt areas across Seoul and the Gyeonggi Province for the construction of 50,000 new homes. The affected zones include the Seoripul district in Seoul's Seocho District, as well as Daeok in Goyang, Ojeon and Wanggok in Uiwang, and Yonghyeon in Uijeongbu.

Residents and church members are advocating for a targeted development approach. They propose that while the majority of the Seoripul area be developed for housing, the specific 1.8% section containing their community landmarks should be maintained. This request highlights a tension between the urgent need for housing supply and the desire to protect established local communities and religious sites.