As the government and Seoul City clash over plans to supply housing within Yongsan Park, political parties are showing differing opinions. The fate of the amendment to the Yongsan Park Special Law, which is set to be discussed in the National Assembly on the 20th, has also become a key issue. If approved, the development of Yongsan Park could gain momentum alongside a meeting between Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on the same day.
Democratic Party lawmaker Bok Gi-wang, who serves on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, stated after a party-government meeting on the 19th, "Discussions on how to supply housing across the entire Yongsan Park area have not even begun." He added, "If we determine that there is potential for supply in that area, we can start discussions on how to proceed. The amendment includes provisions to reduce green space ratios, such as at Camp Kim."
Kim Young-bae, head of the Seoul City Party, also expressed his views on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' saying, "In 2006, the need for housing policies for one- and two-person households was not high. Depending on the times, social consensus is needed regarding public land and public purposes. This does not apply to the main park area of 910,000 pyeong." The Democratic Party is reportedly discussing conducting public opinion surveys regarding housing supply in Yongsan Park.
Additionally, Minister Kim Yun-deok attended the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee meeting, stating, "We are reviewing whether there are limited alternatives for areas that have partially lost their function as parks and green spaces," emphasizing that if there is space for housing supply, it will be directed toward young people and newlyweds.
During the meeting, a proposal was made to construct youth housing on the sites of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. Lawmaker Hwang Un-ha of the Justice Innovation Party expressed hope for finding a balance between securing housing for youth and preserving green spaces, suggesting that the land in Seocho-dong could be effectively utilized as the Supreme Prosecutors' Office transitions to a public prosecution office, allowing for the consolidation of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. He noted that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office site could provide about 30,000 pyeong and urged consideration of using it as public land.
In contrast, the People Power Party criticized the government's August 13 real estate supply measures, asserting that the failures of these policies should not be blamed on Yongsan Park. Mayor Oh and other People Power Party lawmakers from Seoul argued that increasing housing supply should focus on redevelopment and reconstruction.
The People Power Party's Seoul City Party held a discussion titled 'What is Wrong with the August 13 Real Estate Measures' with Mayor Oh. He remarked, "Currently, the real estate market is experiencing a triple surge in sales, jeonse, and monthly rents. This indicates that the market does not trust government policies." He criticized the government's solutions as not providing clear supply signals but rather imposing more punitive taxes and regulations.
Oh added, "If the government insists on failed policies knowing that the public will suffer, it is not a mistake but arrogance. There are already the most reliable and proven alternatives for supply in Seoul: redevelopment and reconstruction." He stated that if the planned maintenance projects in Seoul proceed normally, 310,000 housing units could be started by 2031, emphasizing the need to lift key regulations that hinder project speed, such as restrictions on transferring membership status, private redevelopment project floor area ratios, and the ratio of rental housing in redevelopment.
Regarding the utilization of the Yongsan Park site, he asserted, "We should not cover up the failure to control housing prices by blaming Yongsan Park. Damaging assets that future generations will enjoy for the sake of immediate results undermines trust in governance."
People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik also claimed that the surge in real estate prices is due to the government's and ruling party's tax policies and loan regulations, alleging that they are inciting blame toward Mayor Oh through Yongsan Park. He stated on Facebook, "Yongsan Park belongs to future generations. We should not recklessly dig into it to evade responsibility for failed real estate policies."
He pointed out that the special law was enacted during the Roh Moo-hyun administration in 2007, criticizing the Democratic Party for treating the law lightly while engaging in debates over the legacy of President Roh at their party convention.
Meanwhile, Yongsan Park is being developed as a national park to return land vacated by the U.S. military to the public. The special law explicitly states that it cannot be used for purposes other than a park.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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