[Seoul, Now] Redevelopment Speed Pledge No.1: Without On-Site Insight, It Becomes the First Failure

A Race for Speed Without Understanding the Field Is Meaningless

First Approval Must Not Stop at 'Establishing a Task Force'

Minjin Kim, Head of the Local Government Team, Social Affairs Department. The Asia Business Daily.

As the June 3 local elections approach, a notable similarity is emerging in the campaign pledges of candidates. Regardless of whether they are running for Seoul Mayor or district office head, regardless of political affiliation, the number one pledge is the same for everyone.

"Upon election, I will immediately establish a dedicated organization for the swift promotion of redevelopment and reconstruction projects." Whether it is called a task force, an administrative support group, or a project acceleration TFT, only the name differs. The goal is to shorten approval periods, resolve resident conflicts, and tackle Seoul's housing shortage.

The overall direction is correct. Housing issues—where property rights and rent/lease problems are tightly intertwined—are the biggest issue in this election. However, there are aspects that candidates need to examine much more closely.

The first is "management and oversight by the local districts." There must be a cross-checking mechanism to prevent the administration from leaning toward one side of a project. In the case of small-scale redevelopment that originated from street housing maintenance projects or in the Moa Town sites where the project committee stage is skipped, many of the union presidents and board members are older adults who have difficulty understanding the complex business structure. Contractors intervene behind the scenes, and crucial contracts are signed one after another without proper review. Once the first step goes wrong, there is no way to fix it. The responsible public officials are well aware of this, but dismiss it as a "private contract issue."

Even though there is a "redevelopment project coordinator" system, it is practically ineffective. The problem is that experts are only dispatched after conflicts have erupted. It's like prescribing medicine after the illness has already become severe. There is no point in bringing in experts after all the important contracts have been signed. True professionals should be involved beforehand. Pre-contract review is a health checkup for redevelopment projects. If the project proceeds smoothly, both feasibility and speed improve.

Even if the district office head strengthens on-site administration, there are clear limits. In situations where the union executive team and contractors are closely linked, the district office head will inevitably meet only certain parties. If the administration only listens to one side, on-site meetings devolve into mere formalities, with local government heads reduced to photo ops and empty rituals.

"Digitalization of the approval process" is also not something that should be postponed. By shifting as much as possible to digital windows step by step, the risk that a change in responsible officials will halt a project is reduced. The chances for collusion between contractors and public officials also decrease. If there are concerns about inconvenience for elderly union members, offline service counters can be provided in parallel. The key is to first find reasons to begin.

The most serious issue that must be addressed is "splitting ownership shares." Riding the redevelopment boom ignited by Seoul City and the districts, splitting ownership shares is rampant on the ground. "Chicken coop villas" and "tiny room neighborhood shops" are being pre-sold before the land is even excavated. Every weekend, countless redevelopment briefings—whether for station area revitalization or private downtown complex development—turn into "pre-completion sales events." What remains are the profit margins for contractors and speculative demand filling the void. On land where new apartments are to be built, layers of complicated rights relations accumulate. Feasibility declines, and the process only becomes slower.

Authorities enthusiastically publicize the quantity of housing "supplied" even before areas are designated as redevelopment zones, yet dismiss actual issues with, "There is nothing we can do under current law." This is irresponsible administration. Candidates who are elected must look at the reality on the ground before repackaging with naming and policy bundles. If the law is insufficient, supplement it with ordinances; if ordinances are lacking, establish guidelines; if even that is difficult, fill the gaps with on-site inspections and administrative guidance.

The race for speed in redevelopment and reconstruction is only possible when administrative will is combined with accurate on-site diagnosis. Calls for decentralization and acceleration without an understanding of the ground realities only produce more problems. This is why, regardless of who becomes mayor or district office head, the first approval should not end at merely creating a new task force.

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