O Sehun Targeting 'Park Won-soon Project' Says "Tears of Anger Watching Jongno and Euljiro"

"Criticism that it was excessively focused on preservation and management at the time"

Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon strongly criticized the urban regeneration projects in Seoul that were promoted by the late former Mayor Park Won-soon.

On the 18th, attending the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Mayor Oh stated in response to a municipal administration question, "Around early August, I climbed up to Sewoon Arcade and looked over Jongno 2-ga and Cheonggyecheon, shedding tears of anger. I will definitely establish a new plan."

He argued, "If the urban regeneration projects had been properly balanced with redevelopment and reconstruction, Seoul today would not be in such a state of despair but rather in a very hopeful condition. (During Mayor Park Won-soon's administration) the urban regeneration projects were carried out with an excessive focus on preservation and management."

He continued, "I was at a loss for words on how to describe the Seoul city administration that had no choice but to neglect the city for 10 years," emphasizing, "We will reestablish plans for the future of Jongno, Cheonggyecheon, Euljiro, and Toegye-ro in a form that Seoul citizens agree with by the first half of next year."

He also said, "Although it is delicate to speak about the projects of the late former mayor, the chief architect who served for 10 years had an idealistic architectural perspective centered on preservation," criticizing, "He had a significant influence with such a view of the city."

The chief architect mentioned by Mayor Oh is Seung Hyo-sang, former chairman of the National Architecture Policy Committee, who also designed the tomb of former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2010. Seung Hyo-sang, a high school classmate of President Moon Jae-in at Gyeongnam High School, currently serves as the chairman of the National Architecture Policy Committee.

Mayor Oh expressed, "Looking at the Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District, I feel like spitting blood," and regarding the aerial walkway being constructed around Sewoon Arcade, he evaluated it as "another big nail that will block urban development."

Additionally, Mayor Oh revealed his intention to entrust the social housing projects, which had been outsourced to the private sector, to the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH). He said, "Social housing projects will be converted into a major business of SH," adding, "If SH has focused on urban development so far, it will now transform into a form that pours resources into public housing."

Regarding the solar power distribution project, which was a key initiative of the late former Mayor Park, he stated, "The ideals and intentions were grand, but the results are tragic and dismal. This can be summarized in one sentence."

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