[REVISION HISTORY]

Seoul housing supply and Yongsan Park dispute evolves

Updated 19 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-06 11:02 UTC → 2026-09-22 06:17 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The dispute over housing supply and land use in Seoul has intensified, specifically regarding the utilization of Yongsan Park. While Mayor Oh Se-hoon argues the park must remain a protected green axis, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is considering using specific areas—such as the Yongsan Children’s Garden, former military housing, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration site—for public rental housing. The Ministry maintains that using these contaminated or low-utility areas is more cost-effective for soil remediation than full park conversion. In response, Mayor Oh has proposed alternative sites, including Camp Kim and the Bank of Korea staff quarters, while requesting increased floor area ratio (FAR) allowances in redevelopment zones as a compromise. Negotiations regarding alternative sites, such as the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center, face potential delays due to a change in leadership at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. While previous discussions aimed to increase supply from 87,000 to approximately 130,000 units through higher FAR, the ministerial transition may necessitate a re-evaluation of these plans. Concurrently, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook has met with major construction firms like GS E&C and DL E&C to address supply bottlenecks. Discussions focused on shortening permit processes through one-stop reviews and normalizing project financing (PF). Meanwhile, the Seoul real estate market shows a shift as rising apartment prices spread from Gangnam to outer districts like Jungnang, Seongbuk, and Gangbuk, which experts suggest may be a ‘survival strategy’ by buyers seeking to avoid potential tax burdens from proposed reforms. Mayor Oh Se-hoon has recently escalated his opposition to the park's conversion, stating that not ‘even 1cm’ of the park should be sacrificed for housing, noting that Seoul’s accessible green space is only a quarter of London’s.

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