Jangwi 10 District - Conflict with Sarang Jeil Church Stalemate... Union Leader Resigns

Panorama of Jangwi District 10

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The conflict between the Jangwi 10 District Association in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon’s Sarang Jeil Church, which seemed to have settled, is now at a standstill. Despite the association deciding to pay a compensation of 50 billion KRW and drafting an agreement amid the controversy, the church has added further demands and is holding firm. As the conflict repeats, the association chairman eventually resigned.

According to the maintenance industry on the 14th, the conflict between the Jangwi 10 District Association and Sarang Jeil Church has made no progress since the agreement was drafted last September.

In early September, the association held an extraordinary general meeting and approved the payment of 50 billion KRW in compensation requested by Sarang Jeil Church. This was to relocate the church to another site within the Jangwi 10 District agreed upon by both parties. At that time, the church agreed to vacate the premises within a month after the general meeting, and the association agreed to pay a 30 billion KRW interim payment upon receiving the church building, with the balance to be paid within two months.

However, the promise to vacate the space within a month began to falter. The church resisted, citing issues with media broadcasts concerning redevelopment compensation and the use of offerings. According to association officials, the church claimed that due to the negative image caused by the broadcasts, they were unable to secure a temporary worship site.

Subsequently, the church added a condition that they would relocate only if the new site was leveled. The association sent a letter agreeing to this, and the two sides reportedly nearly finalized a date. However, the church then demanded an expansion of the land swap area, refusing to move until the scale was settled.

Pastor Jeon Gwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church Photo by Yonhap News

As the situation failed to improve, the association chairman who led the payment of the 50 billion KRW compensation ultimately took responsibility and stepped down. Chairman Jang Sun-young sent a message to association members saying, "I deeply regret not achieving good results," and added, "Feeling weakened by the responsibility and self-reproach over work performance, as well as accumulating misunderstandings and distrust, I am resigning."

With the conflict surrounding the church unresolved, the Jangwi 10 District redevelopment project is also failing to gain momentum. Currently, all association members have relocated, and other facilities around the church have been demolished, but ground-breaking has yet to occur. The association’s financial burden due to extended project duration is also increasing.

The association plans to switch to an acting full-time director system for the time being and will proceed with selecting the next chairman. They are also considering revising the maintenance plan and reapplying for permits to exclude the church site and continue redevelopment, even if it takes time. An association official said, "Even when agreements are made, new conditions are imposed, and the communication through official letters and public claims are contradictory," adding, "The consensus is that further dialogue will be difficult."

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