Changwon Mayoral Pre-Candidate Song Soonho Vows "Major Shift in Housing Policy to Retain Youth and Support Aging Population"

Song Soonho, the final pre-candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea for the special mayor of Changwon, Gyeongnam Province, has unveiled a housing policy to address population outflow, aging housing, and demographic aging.

On April 22, Song held a press conference at the city hall press center, stating, "I will launch a shift toward a public-led, fast-tracked housing policy."

He assessed, "Currently, young people are leaving Changwon and the city is aging rapidly. While the housing stock is deteriorating, redevelopment projects are being delayed, and the burden on citizens is steadily increasing."

He emphasized, "Changwon's housing issue should be viewed not as an individual project or a matter of simple supply, but as a core task that determines the sustainability of the city."

He then presented concrete pledges, including: supplying 1,000 youth-specialized housing units in the city center; public-led housing renewal projects; establishing a dedicated task force for expedited redevelopment and reconstruction with the introduction of a fast-track process; providing public rental housing with integrated support for senior healthcare and care services; and creating retirement villages.

Song Sunho, a preliminary candidate for the Changwon Special City Mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea, is announcing policy pledges related to housing policy.
Photo by Seryung Lee

Song pledged, "By utilizing the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's region-specific housing project contest and idle sites, we will supply 1,000 youth-specialized housing units in the city center. We will create a youth lifestyle platform-type housing model that combines residential space, shared offices, community, and cultural spaces, so that young people can stay, work, interact, and grow in Changwon."

He also stated, "In areas where redevelopment and reconstruction are difficult due to low economic feasibility, we will pursue public-led renewal projects in cooperation with Gyeongnam Development Corporation, providing 'zero-bubble apartments' that block excessive increases in sale prices."

"Through the designation of innovative housing regeneration districts by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the public sector will take responsibility, linking national funds and public investment to reduce the burden and accelerate progress. Meanwhile, we will convert the current Changwon Facilities Management Corporation, which focuses on facility management, into a local public corporation with urban development functions," he added.

Alongside this, he pledged, "By setting up a dedicated task force and a fast-track system for rapid redevelopment and reconstruction, we will integrate and manage all processes from district designation to approval, resolving inter-departmental coordination delays and administrative bottlenecks, and preemptively mediating conflicts between residents and associations to shorten project durations."

He further announced, "We will ease district unit plan regulations for old detached housing areas, setting the building coverage ratio at 60%, the floor area ratio at 200%, and limiting the number of floors to four or fewer."

In addition, he said, "In cooperation with Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), we will provide public rental housing with integrated support for senior healthcare and care services, and introduce an integrated housing model that combines health management, daily care, and community functions. We will also establish a Changwon-style retirement village that integrates housing, medical, care, cultural, and leisure functions."

Song said, "We must change the current trend of young people leaving and the city growing old. To create a city where young people stay, citizens enjoy a good quality of life, and people are taken care of into their old age, I will redesign the future of Changwon, starting with housing."

At the end of the press conference, Song highlighted his strong ties with President Lee Jaemyung and positioned himself as a candidate capable of smooth communication with the central government as part of his election strategy.

He said, "What Changwon citizens want and need most is the mayor's capability. I believe my election strategy will be to appeal for the choice of a competent mayoral candidate who can communicate well with the central government and secure budgets through close coordination."

He continued, "During the Lee Jaemyung administration, I served as a top party official, and as soon as President Lee was elected, he sent me as a presidential envoy, showing how much he values me. With the slogan of being a powerful ruling party candidate, Lee Jaemyung's top party official, and promising to work like Lee Jaemyung, I will get Changwon moving before it's too late."

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