How Will the Conflict Between Seoul City and Jung-gu Over 'Hoehyeon 2nd Citizen Apartment' Be Resolved?

Conflict Between Seoul City and Residents Over Apartment Land Ownership... Seoul City Councilor Park Gijae Urges "Seeking the Best Rational Solution Within Legal Framework"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Park Ki-jae, Vice Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Jung-gu 2), held a ‘Hoesin 2nd Citizen Apartment Issue Meeting’ for Jung-gu on the 17th at the 7th-floor conference room of the Seoul Metropolitan Council building.

This meeting was organized to confirm the positions of the residents of Hoesin 2nd Citizen Apartment, who are experiencing conflicts over land ownership issues, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and to facilitate dialogue and communication to resolve the conflict.

Hoesin 2nd Citizen Apartment, completed in 1970, received a D grade in a safety inspection in 2004, and Seoul announced plans to remodel it into an art village for young artists.

Prior to this, Seoul had been negotiating with residents aiming for the relocation of all 352 households, but 53 households that did not agree to the compensation policy remain residing there.

Currently, these 53 households and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are at a stalemate, unable to narrow their differences regarding land ownership and compensation policies.

Hoesin 2nd Citizen Apartment has separated property rights for land and buildings on the registry, with land shares belonging to Seoul and building shares belonging to the residents.

The residents attending the meeting stated regarding Seoul’s claim of land ownership, “Residents have occupied the land for over 50 years, thus legally fulfilling the requirements for acquisitive prescription. Moreover, Seoul, which claims land ownership, has never sent residents a land payment invoice,” and demanded that Seoul take responsibility for its irresponsible administrative handling and present grounds for land ownership that residents can accept.

In response, the official in charge from Seoul’s Department of Multi-family Housing said, “Originally, the land was national forest land under the jurisdiction of the Korea Forest Service, designated as a redevelopment zone for housing improvement, and was transferred free of charge to build citizen apartments and accommodate displaced residents. Also, there exists a sales contract stating that the land will be sold separately later,” adding that Seoul plans to sell the land for a price after an appraisal.

Assemblyman Park Ki-jae said, “I fully understand the residents’ position, who have endured conflicts and inconveniences with the intention of protecting their long-time homes,” and urged Seoul to responsibly review the best reasonable solutions within the legal framework.

He added, “I hope a compromise is reached soon so that residents can live comfortably,” and “I hope a fair and clear framework for problem-solving is established to serve as a model precedent for similar issues in the future.”

Since Hoesin 2nd Citizen Apartment has many issues to resolve, including land ownership and remodeling promotion, Assemblyman Park Ki-jae plans to continue arranging opportunities for consultation and communication.

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