Seongdong District Refutes “Distortion of Facts” in Hangdang 7 District Gutdang Controversy

Emphasis on Agissi-dang Being Unrelated to Completion Delays

“Neither Donation Nor Approval Conditions Are Factual”

Seongdong District in Seoul has strongly refuted allegations surrounding the Hangdang No. 7 Housing Redevelopment and Maintenance Project (Hangdang 7 District), specifically regarding the “refusal to accept the newly built Gutdang (Agissi-dang)” and “delays in final approval,” calling such claims a “distortion of the facts.”

Sungdong District Office View. Provided by Sungdong District Office.

On May 7, Seongdong District issued an official statement, saying, “The claims raised in some reports are not true,” and emphasized, “The assertion that the Agissi-dang issue is the cause of the completion delay is clearly not factual.”

First, regarding the relocation and reconstruction process of Agissi-dang, the district explained, “This matter was already decided through a review by the Local Heritage Protection Committee in 2008,” and stressed, “It was a cultural property protection measure that has been in progress since before the current district mayor took office.” The district further stated, “The scale and method of the reconstruction were determined through consultations between the association and the Agissi-dang side; it was not mandated as a licensing condition.”

In particular, the district strongly denied the claim that “the refusal to donate Agissi-dang is causing delays in final approval.” The district clarified, “At the time of the project implementation approval for the Hangdang No. 7 Housing Redevelopment and Maintenance Project in December 2016, there was no mention of the reconstruction or donation of Agissi-dang as a condition for approval,” adding, “Linking this to the delay in final approval is a distortion of the facts.”

The district also refuted claims of resident harm. Seongdong District explained, “As of July 2025, a partial completion approval for the apartment complex in Hangdang 7 District was granted, and all residents have now moved in,” adding, “The claim that move-ins have been blocked due to the delay in completion is not true.”

The district pointed to the fact that construction of maintenance infrastructure such as roads, parks, and daycare centers has not yet been completed as the reason for the overall delay in completion. This construction is being carried out by the association and is unrelated to Agissi-dang.

Regarding the issue of donating Agissi-dang, the district stated, “If the association applies without additional conditions, the matter will be reviewed for appropriateness and determined through the Shared Property Review Committee and a vote by the district council, in accordance with relevant laws,” and refuted the claim that “the administration is arbitrarily refusing to accept the property.”

A Seongdong District official commented, “The original decisions for cultural property protection are being distorted and fueling unnecessary controversy,” and added, “It is important that accurate facts are conveyed, rather than groundless claims.”

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