Seoul City Prepares 3-Stage Conflict Management Measures to Accelerate Maintenance Projects

Manage to proceed with follow-up procedures by dividing into 3 stages based on conflict risk presence or absence

Seoul City will establish conflict management measures step-by-step to accelerate the pace of redevelopment projects. It has decided to focus on managing projects that can start construction within five years to proceed with subsequent procedures.

On the 12th, cooling fog is being operated to help workers cool down at the Cheonho 4 Promotion Zone Urban Environment Improvement Project site in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 20th, Seoul City announced that it will monitor the entire redevelopment process and support problem-solving if the associations face conflicts or issues that make project promotion difficult.

Typically, redevelopment projects take about 13 to 15 years, and it is common for them to take up to 20 years until residents move in. While complex administrative procedures such as permits contribute to this, internal conflicts within associations such as disagreements or holdouts, complaints about safety during construction, and disputes over construction costs also often prolong the project period.

Seoul City decided to manage projects that have completed project implementation approval or management disposition plan approval and can start construction within five years by dividing them into three stages based on the risk of conflict, allowing subsequent procedures to proceed accordingly.

Projects progressing normally will be observed to ensure they proceed according to schedule. Projects showing signs of conflict and requiring caution will have their conflict trends monitored through frequent meetings with association heads, and administrative support for conflict prevention will begin.

For projects where problems have arisen and delays are expected, support will be provided promptly to resolve conflicts, such as dispatching redevelopment coordinators.

Additionally, among projects at the association establishment approval stage, those progressing quickly and capable of starting construction within six years will be identified as much as possible to support rapid permit consultations and project promotion.

The city is managing various measures to prevent delays caused by conflicts between associations and contractors over construction costs in many redevelopment projects.

It has implemented an 'Expert Pre-Consulting System' to supplement the associations' lack of expertise by reviewing problematic clauses before contractor selection and contract signing. While operating a construction cost conflict TF composed of redevelopment-related departments, it monitors whether cost increases occur in districts where contractors have been selected within Seoul to prepare for conflicts.

Seoul City has proposed system improvement measures that can be supported publicly to the government. The main proposals include △activation of electronic voting, expansion of integrated review targets to enhance project speed △public support such as appointment of professional association managers, prior reporting of construction cost increases, dispatch of experts to dispute projects △initial project funding support △regulatory relaxation measures such as realistic purchase costs for rental housing, easing of reconstruction charges, and relaxation of park and green space securing standards. The city expects that if many of these are legislated, redevelopment project promotion will become much easier.

Han Byung-yong, Director of the Housing Office of Seoul City, said, "We have supported the associations' work in various ways and made mediation efforts to resolve conflicts. The city will meticulously manage the entire redevelopment process directly to ensure that reconstruction and redevelopment continue without stopping, and will actively propose system improvements to the government where necessary."

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