Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Gangnam at odds with SMG over Hyundai Motor land development plan
By Park Jin-hai
Gangnam-gu Office, which oversees the district where Hyundai Motor’s new 115-story headquarters is to be built, said Wednesday that it opposes the development plan agreed between Hyundai Motor and Seoul Metropolitan City (SMC).
The office said it was excluded from the negotiations although the district is where the headquarters and other facilities are located.
The country's largest automaker, after meeting with the Seoul government, must change the nature of its prime property in Samseong-dong from “residential” to “commercial” zone, if it wants to build its global business center on the 79,342 square-meter site.
Hyundai Motor is willing to offer 1.7 trillion won if SMG alters the classification of the site. Gangnam district, however, claimed that SMC is trying to use the money to develop Songpa-gu area as part of the city mayor’s legacy-building, instead of building additional transport infrastructure to reduce anticipated traffic jams and environmental damage.
“Gangnam –gu disapproves the preliminary development plan that does not give priority to relieving the traffic issue,” said the district in a statement on Wednesday.
It said that if their demand is not met, it will not participate in any form of the SMC organized consultation sessions. It claims that it should be included as a negotiation partner along with the Seoul government in future meetings with Hyundai.
It also threatened to sue the SMG to nullify its revised regulation to include Jamsil Sports Complex, which belongs to Songpa-gu, as part of its broader district development in April 2014.
Seoul government announced plans to build a global multi-purpose complex in the area.
However, Seoul government responded that Gangnam district’s claim is “narrow-minded.”
“In April, we revised the relevant regulation in the broader picture of developing the Seoul city. Although we constantly requested the Gangnam-gu be involved in the taskforce, it rejected claiming that it should be included in the main negotiations. That cannot be had, because the right to change the nature of property falls on us,” said a Seoul city government official.