Mapo-gu 'Gyeongui Line Flea Market Site' Unauthorized Occupation Conflict Temporarily Resolved

Unauthorized Occupation of Gyeongui Line Ground-Level Flea Market Site by Civic Groups for Over 4 Years... Mapo-gu Continues Eviction Negotiations, Unauthorized Occupation Ends, Returned to Korea Railroad Corporation

The appearance of the Gyeongui Line flea market site near Gongdeok Station after its return

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) will return the flea market site near Gongdeok Station on the Gyeongui Line (Yeomni-dong 169-12 area), which had been occupied without permission by civic groups for over four years, to the Korea Railroad Corporation.

This space near Gongdeok Station on the Gyeongui Line is a vacant lot on the surface created when the Gyeongui Line section in Mapo-gu was undergrounded in December 2012, and it is national land owned by the Korea Railroad Corporation.

In 2015, Mapo-gu decided to use part of this space as a marketplace for residents until the Korea Railroad Corporation announced specific development plans, entrusting the local private organization 'Neuljang Cooperative' to operate the flea market.

However, when the land use contract expired on December 31, 2015, and the corporation requested the return of the site for development, the district office demanded the occupying group to vacate.

Nevertheless, the cooperative repeatedly refused to vacate and formed the 'Gyeongui Line Shared Land Citizens' Action' by rallying other civic groups, claiming that "national land should be used as a space for citizens, not for commercial development," and continued unauthorized occupation for over four years.

During this prolonged unauthorized occupation, illegal facilities such as containers and tents increased on the site, and complaints from nearby residents about various garbage and noise were incessant.

Accordingly, the Korea Railroad Corporation and Mapo-gu filed an eviction lawsuit last year to reclaim the site.

For an amicable resolution, Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun personally engaged in multiple negotiations with representatives of the occupying groups, continuously attempting to reach an agreement for voluntary evacuation.

As a result, the occupying groups promised to vacate voluntarily by March 31 of this year, and all had completed evacuation by April 24 without the feared physical confrontation.

Mapo-gu has now completed the cleanup of remaining facilities and garbage on the site and returned it to the Korea Railroad Corporation.

Accordingly, it is expected that future development projects led by the Korea Railroad Corporation will gain momentum.

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “The issue, buried in conflicts and complaints, has been settled for now,” and added, “We hope that future space utilization projects here will satisfy the nearby residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.