Land minister, Seoul mayor clash over proposed public housing at Yongsan Park

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk, left, and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon / Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

The Lee Jae Myung administration is at odds with the Seoul Metropolitan Government over the former's proposal to use part or all of Yongsan Park in central Seoul for public housing, showing the growing tension between efforts to increase housing supply and the preservation of urban green.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk told reporters on Friday that the government is considering using not only Yongsan Children's Garden but potentially the entire Yongsan Park site for housing development.

"Yongsan Children's Garden is a narrow concept. We are considering the entire Yongsan Park," Kim said during a news conference marking his first year in office. He said the government has been examining various sites in Yongsan, including areas that may face environmental contamination and require negotiations with the U.S. military, adding the government would consider all possible options to increase housing supply.

Kim then said any housing development at the park would require discussions with the National Assembly, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yongsan District and the U.S. military.

However, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has strongly opposed the idea, arguing that the 300,000-square-meter Yongsan Park represents a rare piece of urban green space that should be preserved for future generations.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said last week that even part of Yongsan Children's Garden should not be used for housing. "Green space must be protected, especially as climate change is bringing increasingly severe heat waves," Oh said.

The dispute comes as the Lee administration seeks to expand housing supply in Seoul, where limited land and strong demand have contributed to persistent housing price hikes.

The land minister said the central government would seek to work with the Seoul government, but stressed that disagreements should not prevent housing policies from moving forward.

"The ministry and Seoul city need to work together," Kim said, adding that cooperation would be necessary to narrow their differences and benefit residents.

However, Kim indicated that Seoul city’s approval is not necessarily a legal prerequisite for the designation of certain public housing development areas. He said the government should not be prevented from pursuing policy actions simply because Seoul city opposes a proposal.

But the mayor has maintained that his opposition is based on principle rather than jurisdiction.

"Just because housing conditions are difficult does not mean we should touch the only remaining green space in the middle of the city," Oh said in a recent television interview.

Beyond Yongsan Park, the government is also considering lifting restrictions on parts of Seoul's greenbelt areas to create additional housing sites, a move the Seoul mayor has repeatedly opposed.

Kim and Oh are scheduled to meet next Thursday, with the talks expected to focus on ways to reconcile the government's housing supply goals with Seoul's efforts to preserve green space.