[Reporter’s Notebook] Government and Seoul City’s 'Discord' Leaves Only Scars

Conflicts Arise Over Housing Supply in Yongsan International Business District and Sewoon District 4
Delays Become More Likely as Disputes Continue... Ultimately, Citizens Bear the Cost

"There is a saying in urban planning philosophy: 'The future opens up when problems and conflicts are resolved and citizens are happy.' I wonder whether this philosophy is truly being upheld today."

An urban planning expert recently made this assessment in a phone interview with a reporter, referring to a series of conflicts surrounding development projects by the government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The conflict, which began in earnest with the Sewoon District 4 area in front of Jongmyo, has now spread to the issue of housing supply in the Yongsan International Business District.

What lingered in the expert's mind was the fact that the conflict is only intensifying disputes without offering any solutions. He predicted that this situation would ultimately result in "neglect of the problem." He emphasized, "As a scholar, I do not believe that Seoul citizens are happy now, nor do I think they will be in the future," adding, "There is no textbook that says, 'Let's neglect the problem, and the future will open up.'"

This conflict escalated into a political issue as the central government intervened in the city's plans. The Yongsan International Business District, which was initially planned to supply 6,000 housing units, is a prime example. The conflict deepened when the government and the ruling party insisted that the supply scale should be increased to 20,000 units. The redevelopment project for the Sewoon District 4 area, which has not even broken ground since 2004, also became the center of political conflict after the government, aiming to protect the view of Jongmyo, raised concerns about building heights.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is taking a commemorative photo with Jeong Jeongrae, Acting President of Korea Railroad Corporation, Kwon Young-se, a member of the People Power Party, and other attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Yongsan International Business District in Seoul on the 27th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Conflict inevitably slows down project progress. In Yongsan, the need to add schools and infrastructure in proportion to the increased housing has pushed the schedule back significantly. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, "We planned to supply 6,000 units, but if we suddenly have to provide more than 10,000, the project period will be greatly extended and we will have to redraw the blueprint." There are even suggestions that, in addition to the more than 10 years already spent on this project, it could take more than two additional years. As for Sewoon District 4, it appears that the direction of the project will be determined by the winner of next year's local elections. At the very least, this means that groundbreaking cannot take place until then.

In the end, it is the citizens who suffer. The delay in the Yongsan development could be interpreted as a misleading signal regarding housing supply. Although the schedule is being pushed back to increase the number of units, in the current market situation-where a shortage of supply is causing housing prices to soar-this could further exacerbate concerns about an unstable supply and demand. In the case of Sewoon District 4, a prime location in Seoul, the area is literally left as "idle land."

Political strife and conflict cannot be solutions to the problems Seoul currently faces. Idle land should be quickly developed, and there should be a clear perception in the housing market that supply will be provided soon. Delayed justice is not justice at all.