Yeongdeungpo District to Demolish Former Navy Quarters, Opening Park Pathway for Residents

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On September 17, Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul (District Mayor Choi Hokwon) announced that, in cooperation with the military, it has begun demolishing the former Navy officers’ quarters located within the Menakgol Park site (1795-16 Singil-dong). This marks a major turning point in the park’s development, which has been delayed for over 80 years.

The demolition targets five unused Navy facilities, including barracks, a guard post, and a warehouse. The district completed the demolition design service in March, and the demolition permit process will be finalized in October. After the demolition work is completed around February next year, the Marine Corps will return the land to the Ministry of National Defense.

Location map of Menakgol. Provided by Yeongdeungpo District.

The Menakgol site covers approximately 45,660 square meters. Although it was designated as a park facility in 1940, the site’s designation as an urban planning facility was lifted after being occupied for decades by the Navy and the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration. Yeongdeungpo District has continued consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and related agencies to fulfill a long-standing wish of local residents, and in 2020, the area was re-designated as a district unit planning zone. In 2023, reflecting residents’ opinions, the district finalized the “Menakgol District Unit Plan,” which includes the creation of open spaces and pedestrian corridors.

Even after the plan was established, the district continued to coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration. In particular, District Mayor Choi Hokwon met directly with the head of the Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration in March to convey residents’ demands and strongly request the securing of pedestrian access, accelerating the project’s progress.

Currently, with the opening of Byeongmucheong Station on the Sillim Line, part of the Military Manpower Administration’s site has been opened to the public. However, access remains restricted to the adjacent former Navy officers’ quarters, causing ongoing inconvenience for residents. The district plans to minimize inconvenience by establishing a temporary pedestrian path after the demolition and will continue discussions to ensure that the new Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration building is developed as an “open building without walls.” The district also plans to request that the new building include resident-accessible areas such as gardens, walking trails, and rest spaces.

District Mayor Choi Hokwon stated, “With the demolition of the former Navy officers’ quarters, I hope Menakgol Park will be reborn as a space with pedestrian paths and rest areas that any resident can use conveniently and safely. We will focus all administrative efforts to return Menakgol to the community as soon as possible.”

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