Housing development to be limited to green space in Gyeonggi, land minister says

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk said Wednesday the government's plan to provide additional housing by developing greenbelt areas will be limited to Gyeonggi, amid differences with the Seoul city government over housing supply measures in the capital.

Kim made the remarks in response to questions over whether the ministry's upcoming plan to supply 73,000 new housing units would include sites in the capital, ahead of a meeting with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to discuss housing supply in the capital and surrounding areas.

"The 73,000 housing units will be supplied in Gyeonggi," Kim told reporters, effectively ruling out greenbelt areas in Seoul from the government's upcoming housing development plan.

Earlier this month, the government announced plans to begin construction of 27,000 homes by 2030 through new housing development projects in Gangseo District in western Seoul, as well as Namyangju and Gwangju in Gyeonggi.

The Land Ministry also said it plans to announce additional development sites capable of accommodating more than 73,000 homes in late September, prompting speculation that underutilized land or greenbelt areas in Seoul could be included.

The government's broader housing supply push, however, has faced questions over its feasibility amid opposition from the Seoul city government to developing environmentally protected greenbelt areas.

Kim's meeting with Oh was expected to focus on housing supply measures and ways to bridge differences between the central and Seoul governments.

Oh, who is affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party, has also openly opposed the government's proposal to build homes in Yongsan Park in central Seoul.

Instead, the mayor has proposed utilizing the Tancheon Water Recycling Center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, as an alternative site for housing development.

Following Wednesday's talks, Kim said he and Oh agreed to consider the water recycling center as a potential housing site, noting that the two sides will discuss the proposal further after reviewing relevant materials to be provided by the Seoul city government.

The Seoul city government estimates that the 390,000-square-meter (96-acre) site in the affluent Seoul district could accommodate up to 13,000 new homes.

The two sides, however, failed to reach a concrete agreement on the proposed development of Yongsan Park.

The park, mostly located on land returned from the former U.S. military garrison, spans about 3 million square meters, equivalent to roughly 420 football pitches.

Yonhap