With "Government and Gwacheon City Office Site Housing Supply Adjustment Plan, Party Will Actively Support"

First Discussion Between Ruling Party and Government on the 4th
Democratic Party, Gwacheon City, and Ministry of Land Attend
Ruling Party: "Government Will Assist Gwacheon City in Preparing Adjustment Plan"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The ruling party and the government have effectively formalized the revision of the housing supply plan for the idle land at the Gwacheon government complex. As the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has shown a 'willingness to actively negotiate' and Democratic Party lawmakers from the Gwacheon district have begun to prepare alternatives, a partial revision of the August 4 supply plan appears inevitable.

According to the Democratic Party on the 4th, the 'Ruling Party-Government Consultation on the Gwacheon Government Complex Housing Project Site Plan Change' meeting is expected to focus on the opinions of MOLIT and the Democratic Party regarding Gwacheon City's proposal for an alternative site to supply 4,000 housing units at the Gwacheon government complex housing project site. Park Wan-joo, the Democratic Party Policy Committee Chair, said in his opening remarks, "The party will actively support so that the adjustment plan can be promoted through mutual cooperation between the government and Gwacheon City." Mayor Kim Jong-cheon of Gwacheon also said, "I hope you will thoroughly review Gwacheon City's alternative and actively accept it."

At the meeting, the Democratic Party was represented by Policy Committee Chair Park Wan-joo, Senior Deputy Chair Yoo Dong-soo, and Representative Lee So-young (Gyeonggi Uiwang-Gwacheon), the government by MOLIT First Vice Minister Yoon Sung-won, and the local government by Mayor Kim.

Earlier, in January, Gwacheon City proposed an alternative not to build housing on the idle land of the government complex but to supply 4,000 housing units in other areas. The core of the plan is to add about 2,000 units by increasing the floor area ratio and changing the use of self-sufficient land in the ongoing Gwacheon district supply, and to secure an additional 2,000 units near the station area where the metropolitan express railroad (GTX) line is likely to pass. Instead of building housing on the idle land of the government complex, housing should be supplied in areas that need development for the overall development of Gwacheon district and the city.

This plan contradicts the housing supply plan of the August 4 measures proposed by MOLIT, leading to a conflict between MOLIT and Gwacheon City over the plan. However, last month, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Noh Hyung-wook expressed a progressive stance, saying he would "review it in a reasonable direction," raising expectations that differences could be narrowed at this ruling party-government consultation. Following his meeting with Minister Noh on the 21st of last month, Mayor Kim also met with Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil on the 23rd to persuade him of the need to secure housing supply on alternative sites rather than the idle land of the government complex. Leader Song responded, "We will coordinate well with the government." Additionally, on the 2nd, Mayor Kim met with Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum along with Representative Lee So-young, whose constituency includes Gwacheon, to persuade the need for policy changes. Representative Lee expressed at the Prime Minister's meeting, "While I understand the confidentiality of real estate policy, I deeply regret that there was no prior consultation with local governments or local lawmakers."

Meanwhile, a resident recall vote against Mayor Kim is scheduled to be held as early as the end of this month, citing the failure to actively resolve the housing supply plan for the Gwacheon government complex idle land. The Market Resident Recall Promotion Committee submitted a petition with signatures to the election commission on the 18th of last month, and the review and verification confirmed that the number of valid signatures was 8,308, exceeding the required 7,877 (15% of the total number of eligible petitioners aged 19 and over).

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