Yongsan Park housing dispute faces critical week of talks

A critical negotiation this week will determine the fate of Yongsan Park and housing supply in Seoul, as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Kim Hyun-soo, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon prepare for another round of talks. The central government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government remain at odds over the use of the main Yongsan Park site for housing development.

Seoul's proposal involves utilizing scattered sites around the park, such as Camp Kim, the Army Finance Management Group, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs parking lot, and the Huam-dong Korea Bank dormitory. However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport believes these areas, even if fully utilized, would not yield the expected volume of housing compared to the approximately 300,000 square meter Children's Garden site within the park itself.

The situation is further complicated by upcoming legislative actions. The National Assembly is scheduled to vote on a revision to the Yongsan Park 조성 Special Act on the 26th, which would ease park and green space standards for the Camp Kim complex. This bill, separate from the main development dispute, could provide a legal basis for increasing housing supply on Seoul's proposed surrounding sites. Additionally, the first city council session, dominated by the Democratic Party which holds more than two-thirds of the seats, begins the same day. The party, which has previously called for Mayor Oh's resignation following a first-instance guilty verdict, is expected to scrutinize not only housing policy but also the mayor's overall administration.

Mayor Oh has prioritized redevelopment projects as a key strategy for increasing housing supply. Seoul recently unveiled its 'Rapid Integrated Promotion Plan for Moa Town,' aiming to commence construction on 40,000 'Moa Housing' units by 2031 and designate 100 new sites by 2030, potentially adding another 120,000 units. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party and the government announced plans to revise the Urban and Rural Development Act to transfer the authority for designating development zones for smaller-scale redevelopment and reconstruction projects (under 500 units) from the mayor to district mayors. This move, previously a campaign promise by a Democratic mayoral candidate, has drawn criticism from the ruling People Power Party, which accused the government of attempting to undermine the Seoul mayor's authority.