Rival parties agree to ease rules for housing supply at Seoul's Camp Kim
The Democratic Party and People Power Party will seek passage next week of an amendment easing park requirements for 2,500 homes at Seoul's Camp Kim.
The Yongsan Park area in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Aug. 17
NEWS1
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and main opposition People's Power Party (PPP) have agreed to pass an amendment to the Special Act on the Creation of Yongsan Park at a National Assembly plenary session next week to pave the way for increased housing supply by easing requirements for parks and green spaces at the Camp Kim site in Yongsan District, central Seoul.
The bill is separate from the issue of developing the Yongsan Park site, which Land Minister Kim Yun-duk and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon were scheduled to discuss on Thursday.
Cheon Jun-ho of the DP and Kim Seung-su of the PPP, the two parties' senior deputy floor leaders for parliamentary operations, said Thursday that they reached an agreement ahead of the afternoon plenary session.
"The ruling and opposition parties held discussions and agreed to pass around 70 bills at today's plenary session," Cheon said. "As for the Yongsan Park Special Act, the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments and Special Act on the Promotion of Urban Renewal, we agreed to monitor discussions between the land minister and the Seoul mayor, reflect the outcome and pass them next week."
The proposed amendment to the Yongsan Park Special Act is intended to ease requirements for parks and green spaces at the Camp Kim site near Namyeong and Samgakji stations in Yongsan District. The bill has already been referred to a plenary session.
As part of its Jan. 29 housing measures earlier this year, the government announced plans to build 2,500 homes at Camp Kim, a former U.S. military site returned to Korea, up from the previously planned 1,400 homes.
In April, the DP pushed through the proposed amendment to the Yongsan Park Special Act and other bills related to the government's Sept. 7, 2025, and Jan. 29 housing measures at the National Assembly's Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee after PPP lawmakers walked out.
The DP and the PPP also plan to hold a plenary session on Wednesday to pass legislation.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
