Petition Opposing Housing Supply in Yongsan Park Surpasses 50,000 Signatures... Will It Go Before the National Assembly?

[Financial News] The number of supporters for a public petition opposing a plan to provide public rental housing in Yongsan Park has exceeded 50,000. As the petition has met the requirements for review by a standing committee of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are expected to continue discussions on an alternative site.
According to the National Assembly's public petition system on the 1st, 50,409 people had supported the petition titled "Petition Against the Revision of the Special Act on the Creation of Yongsan Park and Against the Housing Supply Plan for the Yongsan Park Site" as of 4 p.m. that day. If a public petition gathers at least 50,000 signatures within 30 days of being posted, it is referred to the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly for review.
The proposed revision to the Special Act on the Creation of Yongsan Park includes easing park and green-space standards to allow high-density mixed-use development on returned sites, including Camp Kim.
The petitioner argued, "Although the revision is described as being limited to the Camp Kim site, changing the standards in the body of the law will not stop its impact there," and added, "It has already been revealed that the area around Yongsan Children's Garden, which has been open for three years, is also being reviewed as a candidate site for 3,000 to 4,000 housing units." The concern is that development could gradually expand across all of Yongsan Park.
Yongsan Park first emerged as a possible housing supply site during the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's preparations for the Aug. 13 housing supply plan. As the government reviewed Yongsan Park as a potential supply site, local opposition continued even before the policy was announced. The site was ultimately excluded from the supply locations in the plan because consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government had not been completed.
Afterward, Kim Yun-duk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea, and Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor Oh Se-hoon met twice, but failed to reach an agreement. At their second meeting, Oh proposed using the Tancheon Sewage Treatment Facility site in Gangnam District instead of Yongsan Park.
The two sides had agreed to hold another meeting later this month, but no specific date has been set as a change in the minister is approaching. Meanwhile, nominee Hong Ji-seon said on Aug. 31 during a meeting with reporters, "We will make sure policies work on the ground by conducting sufficient prior consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government."
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter