[Report] Will the Conflict from 6 Years Ago Recur...Tensions Rise Over Support and Opposition for 8th Candidate Site Near Hyochang Park Station in 2·4 Measures

Opposing Residents "Public Development Reduces Practical Benefits"
Supporting Residents "Now Is the Right Time to Implement the Public Housing Special Act"
Uncertain Outlook Due to Past Failures in Housing Project 추진

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Seoyul]

On the afternoon of the 9th, the area around Hyochang Park Front Station, which was selected as a candidate site for the public complex project on January 26, showed no banners welcoming the decision./Photo by Hwang Seoyul

"The Development Project Promotion Committee put up banners, but after three days, the opposing side must have taken them down because they disappeared." (Representative of A Real Estate Agency in Yongmun-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)

On the afternoon of the 9th, the area around Hyochang Park Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was visited. This place was selected as the 8th candidate site for the government's core housing supply plan, the Urban Public Housing Complex Project (Urban Complex Project), on the 26th of last month. However, there were no banners related to development to be found here. Nevertheless, residents met on site appeared to be sharply divided, encouraging signatures on both sides of the issue.

The area around Hyochang Park Station is the largest housing supply zone among the 11 sites selected as the 8th candidate sites. The area is approximately 78,000㎡ and is planned to be developed into a residential complex with 2,483 households. Although it was selected as a candidate site under the 2·4 Plan, opposition from residents is strong, so difficulties are expected in moving forward. The Urban Complex Project involves the public sector expropriating land from owners and developing it directly, while giving owners priority rights to move into the new housing. Mr. B, who opposes the development, said, "If it were private development, it would be profitable, but since it is public development, the margin is small, so the practical benefit is low."

The issue of cash compensation is also causing resistance. When designated as a candidate site for the Urban Complex Project, owners who acquired real estate in the area after the rights assessment date (June 29 of last year) will not receive move-in rights for the new housing even if they acquire the new housing. Instead, they receive compensation through cash settlement, but this amount is usually lower than the market price, leading to strong opposition. Mr. C, who was collecting signatures against the development, lamented, "Since May last year, I had obtained a building permit and was constructing a villa for actual residence, but suddenly it was selected as a public complex development candidate site, and I am about to become a cash settlement recipient." The representative of A Real Estate Agency in Yongmun-dong also said, "Even if sellers want to sell quickly, buyers hesitate to trade because they expect cash settlement."

Officials around Hyochang Park Station stated that "residents are divided in their opinions." Area around Hyochang Park Front Station./Photo by Hwang Seoyul

On the other hand, resident D, who agrees with the development, said, "If we miss this opportunity, redevelopment in our neighborhood will be difficult forever," adding, "Now is the right time as the government is implementing the Special Act on Public Housing." The Urban Public Housing Complex Project requires securing the consent of more than two-thirds of residents after being designated as a preliminary zone to meet the conditions for district designation. However, the area around Hyochang Park Station experienced a six-year development stagnation after a failed attempt to promote the 2016 Station Area Shift (public rental housing) project, leaving its future uncertain. D said, "There was intense conflict in the previous housing project, and it seems similar this time."

Besides this area, strong resident opposition to public projects exists in many preliminary zones, causing delays in the project that promised to supply 196,000 households. On the 2nd, the '3080 Public-led Opposition National Union (Gongban-yeon)' reported that opposition consent forms were submitted in about 40 out of 76 candidate sites from the 1st to 8th rounds of the Urban Complex Project. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, only seven of the candidate sites have completed official district designation.

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