Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Urges Suspension of 'Land Swap for Seobu Driver's License Test Site'

Published 20 Nov.2020 14:52(KST)

Refusal of Unilateral Housing Supply Plan Without Consultation with Mapo-gu... Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Proposes Formation of '4-Party Consultative Body' Including Seoul City, Mapo-gu, and Local Residents... District Mayor Yoodonggyun Emphasizes Need for Optimal Plan Considering Local Realities and Demand...

On August 17, Yoodonggyun, Mayor of Mapo District, issued a statement proposing the establishment of a "four-party consultative body" consisting of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, Mapo District, and local residents to develop a "Sangam-dong Area Comprehensive Plan" tailored to the characteristics of the region, and stated that the optimal plan was prepared through thorough discussions.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the 20th, Yoodonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, issued a statement firmly opposing the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s consideration of using the Western Driver’s License Test Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu as a “land swap site” with the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) for the purchase of the Jongno-gu Songhyeon-dong site owned by Korean Air (KAL).

Mayor Yoo maintained his previous stance of actively agreeing with the government’s real estate policy direction but pointed out, “Just as when the supply of 6,200 housing units in the Sangam-dong area was announced in the August 4 real estate measures, we cannot help but feel concern and disappointment that the land swap is being pushed forward unilaterally without prior consultation with Mapo-gu, the party involved.”

In the statement released that day, Mayor Yoo urged the suspension of the land swap of the Western Driver’s License Test Center site, which forces unilateral sacrifice on Mapo-gu residents for the creation of parks in other areas, and stated that he cannot agree to housing supply plans such as rental housing construction being pursued without consultation with Mapo-gu and local residents, the parties involved.

Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, where the Western Driver’s License Test Center is located, suffered for many years under the stigma of the so-called “Garbage Mountain” due to the landfill of various wastes generated by Seoul City on Nanji Island from 1978 for 15 years. Later, land development was carried out to create the Digital Media City (DMC), a domestic high-tech industrial hub, but the area still faces unresolved issues such as a lack of school facilities and traffic congestion due to inadequate infrastructure at the time.

Mayor Yoo appealed for understanding of the suffering of Sangam-dong residents, whose basic happiness rights are threatened due to insufficient infrastructure, and called for measures to improve infrastructure in the Sangam-dong area.

Furthermore, he repeatedly proposed the immediate formation of a four-party consultative body involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, Mapo-gu, and local residents to establish a “Comprehensive Plan for the Sangam-dong Area” and jointly consider ways to utilize the Western Driver’s License Test Center for future regional development.

After the government’s August 4 real estate measures announcement, Mapo-gu set up an “on-site mayor’s office” in front of the Mapo-gu Office main gate to conduct work on-site and gather residents’ opinions. Based on this, on August 17, a four-party consultative body involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, Mapo-gu, and local residents was formed to establish a “Comprehensive Plan for the Sangam-dong Area” tailored to local characteristics, and through sufficient discussion, an optimal plan was proposed in a statement.

However, to date, there has been no contact from the relevant institutions.

Finally, Mayor Yoodonggyun of Mapo-gu said, “I will continue to propose the district’s opinions so that an optimal utilization plan suitable for the local realities and demands of the Western Driver’s License Test Center can be prepared, rather than a unilateral land swap.”

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Full Statement by Yoodonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu

Mapo-gu firmly rejects the plan by Seoul City and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) to swap the Western Driver’s License Test Center site with the Songhyeon-dong site, which is being pushed forward unilaterally for housing supply without consultation with our district.

We demand an immediate halt to the consideration of the land swap and sufficient consultation with our district to prepare the best plan that fits the local realities and demands of the Western Driver’s License Test Center. We propose the immediate formation of a four-party consultative body involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, Mapo-gu, and local residents.

1. Stop the unilateral land swap

- We absolutely cannot agree to forcing the sacrifice of Mapo-gu residents for the creation of parks in other areas.

2. Oppose housing supply plans without consultation with the mayor

- We cannot agree to any actions such as rental housing construction being pursued without consultation with Mapo-gu and residents.

3. Prepare infrastructure measures for the Sangam-dong area

- Please consider even once the Sangam-dong residents who are currently threatened in their basic happiness rights due to lack of school facilities and traffic congestion.

4. Discuss utilization plans for the Western Driver’s License Test Center for future regional development

- For future job creation, regional development, and creation of future growth engines

We propose the immediate formation of a consultative body involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seoul City, Mapo-gu, and local residents to establish the “Comprehensive Plan for the Sangam-dong Area.”