Public housing supply projects in downtown Seoul have stalled over differences between the central government and the Seoul city government.
Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) has again requested that a pre-planning consultative body for the downtown public housing complex project be convened. The Seoul city government effectively refused, saying standards for additional floor-area ratios must be set first. Some forecast that the consultative body is unlikely to meet within this year.
According to industry sources on the 11th, LH sent an official letter to the Seoul city government on the 4th requesting that the body be convened. The targets are three districts: Yeongdeungpo Station (Yeongdeungpo-gu), Suyu District 12 (Gangbuk-gu) and Godeok Station (Gangdong-gu).
The Seoul city government canceled a meeting scheduled for June. After follow-up discussions were cut off for more than five months, LH sent the letter again. The city said, "We are reviewing the matter," but did not specify when it would respond.
The downtown public housing complex project is one in which the public sector leads the building of housing in aging city centers. It targets areas where private development is difficult.
The pre-planning consultative body meets after a district is designated. Resident representatives, experts, local governments and public developers gather to work out floor-area ratios, the number of households and public contributions. It is not a procedure set by law. But because it is a venue for prior consultation with the local government that holds permitting authority, it is regarded as a gateway that determines the success or failure of a project.
The conflict began in April. It started when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport amended the enforcement decree of the Special Act on Public Housing without consulting the Seoul city government. The increase in floor-area ratios for general residential zones near stations and low-rise residential areas grew from the previous 1.2 times to 1.4 times. As a result, floor-area ratios of up to 420% can now be applied.
The problem lies in districts that have already completed pre-planning consultations. To reflect the raised floor-area ratio, the redevelopment plan has to be discussed again.
The Seoul city government's position is that standards come first. It says it must examine whether downtown infrastructure can handle the increased number of households. It also believes the impact on living conditions, such as sunlight rights, must be reviewed. A Seoul city official said, "If we push ahead with redevelopment on a poorly prepared plan and problems with roads and sunlight arise, it is ultimately Seoul citizens who will suffer."
However, criticism is also mounting that the project is being delayed as setting standards drags on. According to the National Regional Alliance for the Downtown Public Housing Complex Project, supply plans for 11,768 households in six districts have stalled. They are Sangbong Terminal (Jungnang-gu), Yaksu Station (Jung-gu), Suyu District 12 (Gangbuk-gu), Godeok Station (Gangdong-gu), Jangwi District 12 (Seongbuk-gu) and Bulgwang Neighborhood Park (Eunpyeong-gu). Pre-planning consultations for 11 follow-up districts (19,542 households), including Yeongdeungpo Station, have also been halted entirely.
Myung No-jun, head of the Seoul city housing bureau, recently said at the Seoul Metropolitan Council's administrative audit that the goal is "to set the standards within the year." This has led to speculation that resuming the consultative body will not be easy within this year.
Some also point out that the Ministry of Land and the Seoul city government should break the delay with a "big deal." Since the two bodies are discussing expanding housing supply in Seoul, the idea is to bundle and resolve major pending issues together. Talks on new supply sites such as Yongsan Park and the Tancheon Water Recycling Center are being mentioned. Along with convening the pre-planning consultative body, an amendment to the Parks and Green Areas Act needed for the Namsan gondola project, which Seoul is prioritizing, is also cited as a subject of coordination.
Land Minister Hong Ji-sun visits Yaksu Station, a downtown public housing complex site, on the same day.