Seoul mayor, land minister fail to narrow differences on Yongsan Park housing plan

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport failed to reach an agreement over using part of Yongsan Park for housing on Thursday.

"We remain at odds over Yongsan Park," Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said after meeting Land Minister Kim Yun-duk. "I cannot agree under any circumstances to using it as a site for apartments."

"Seoul's position is that Yongsan Park should be developed as a space for quality of life and leisure," Oh said. "I even said that a Seoul mayor who agrees to use it as a housing site would go down in history as a sinner."

The discussion comes on the back of a government announcement that it is considering a plan to provide a limited amount of housing on parts of Yongsan Park that have lost their function as parkland and green space.

Oh, however, has opposed the plan, arguing that the park is an urban green space that should be preserved for future generations and must not be damaged.

The park in Yongsan District, central Seoul, is a large public area on the site of a former U.S. military garrison that was returned to Korea after decades of U.S. troop presence. The government has framed it as one of Seoul's largest green spaces once completed. So far, only limited sections are open to the public, while the bulk of the roughly 3 million-square-meter (741-acre) site remains under development, with the government still finalizing plans for the rest of the land.

Kim also said he and Oh had confirmed their differences on the housing plan.

"I exchanged many views with Mayor Oh on the housing issue," Kim said. "Today, we clearly confirmed where our positions differ and agreed to meet again next week to continue working through them."

"The key issues are how we approach discussions and deliberations on providing housing for young people, newlyweds and families with multiple children on part of Yongsan Park, as well as our positions on amending the law," Kim said. "Mayor Oh is opposed in principle, while I support the idea."

Kim also sought to clarify the government's plan and address lingering misunderstandings.

"You don't think we're talking about bulldozing the entire Yongsan Park and building homes there, do you?" Kim said to reporters. "What we're proposing is to provide a limited amount of housing for young people and newlyweds in areas that have already been damaged."

Kim stressed that preserving Yongsan Park and providing housing for young people and newlyweds are not mutually exclusive.

“We should look for a way to achieve both," Kim said. "I fully agree with the fundamental principle that Yongsan Park must be preserved."

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]