President Lee visits Jangwi District 9 redevelopment site: “Public-led projects move faster, too”

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung called for speeding up public redevelopment projects on the 4th, saying, “When the public does it, projects move faster and there is less room for corruption.” He also stressed the need to increase staffing at Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), saying that urban redevelopment should be pursued not only in Seoul but also in the capital region and major provincial cities.
President Lee visited the public redevelopment project site in Jangwi District 9, Seongbuk District, Seoul, that day and made the remarks after receiving a briefing on LH’s projects. Those at the site included Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hong Ji-seon, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Nam-geun, Seongbuk District Mayor Lee Seung-ro, and LH President Lee Seong-hoon. Cheong Wa Dae Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun, Policy Chief Joon-Kyung Ha, and Senior Secretary for Economic Growth Moon Shin-hak accompanied him.
From the rooftop of a nearby commercial building overlooking Jangwi District 9, President Lee reviewed the project’s progress and the status of surrounding redevelopment zones. He asked a series of questions about the number of housing units to be supplied, the floor-area ratio, and why some areas had been excluded from the project zone, examining factors delaying the project and the role of the administration.
In particular, after being told that the project in Jangwi District 14, which is proceeding as a private redevelopment, had been underway for 18 years, he expressed surprise, saying, “Private redevelopment is done by forming an association, and it gets delayed because they’re always fighting. It’s been going on for 18 years?”
After hearing about the advantages of public redevelopment, he said, “When the public does it, projects move faster and there is less room for corruption,” adding, “There are still many efforts to keep projects privately led. This is all due to what you might call corruption.”
He also stressed the need to secure staff to support the projects. When lawmaker Kim said that LH’s workforce had fallen to around half its size under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, President Lee noted that he had previously ordered that staffing be increased.
When Kim explained that LH was concerned about how to deploy staff after redevelopment projects were completed, President Lee said, “Redevelopment projects keep coming,” adding, “Urban redevelopment needs to be carried out not only in Seoul but also across the capital region and in major provincial cities.” He continued, “If it can be done at lower cost and quickly, there’s no need to struggle.”
When President Lee asked why some areas of Jangwi District 4 had been left out of the project zone and was told that roadside businesses had opposed it, he said, “When I was in Seongnam, too, they had excluded the roadside area from this redevelopment zone, making it look strange, so I changed it to include all of it.” He added, “Even if there’s opposition to begin with, leaving that out makes the city layout look strange.”
Regarding areas excluded from development because they already had apartment buildings, he said, “It makes sense since there are apartments there, but even so, this is where the administration needs to play a role,” adding, “It will all look strange later.”
He also called for related legislation to be expedited. When lawmaker Kim explained that passage of the bill was being delayed, President Lee said, “Hurry it up. What are we supposed to do if it remains stuck for 20 years?”
Meanwhile, after hearing why Sarang Jeil Church in neighboring Jangwi District 10 had been excluded from the project zone, President Lee criticized the decision, saying, “There’s no such thing in this world as being able to break the law and just hold out.” He told District Mayor Lee, “Enforce it rigorously from now on,” and added, “In a country governed by the rule of law, where can anyone get away with holding out by force?”
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter