Seohun Oh's Reconstruction Activation Hits a Wall in Safety Inspection

Godeok Jugong 9 Complex Suitability Review Results in Reconstruction Denial
Mayor Oh Requests Improvement from Ministry of Land Due to Stricter Standards
However, Ministry of Land Remains Silent... Some Complexes Postpone Suitability Review

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The 37-year-old Godeok Jugong Complex 9 in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, managed by CMS, has been ruled ineligible for reconstruction, shaking Mayor Oh Se-hoon's housing supply plans. Aging large complexes are still unable to even establish maintenance plans due to the high barrier of safety inspections, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the main government agency, holds a negative stance on system improvements, putting the brakes on Mayor Oh's 'speed housing supply' initiative.

According to the maintenance industry on the 17th, the Korea Land and Housing Safety Management Institute recently notified Gangdong-gu Office that the reconstruction safety inspection appropriateness review for Godeok Jugong Complex 9 resulted in a maintenance judgment with a C grade (62.70 points). Previously, this apartment passed the preliminary safety inspection in February 2018 and received a D grade (51.29 points) in the first detailed safety inspection (private institution) last December, which allowed 'conditional reconstruction.' For a D grade, an appropriateness review by public institutions (Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology and Korea Land and Housing Safety Management Institute) is required. Ultimately, the final appropriateness review score rose by more than 10 points compared to the first detailed safety inspection, blocking the path to reconstruction.

The more than 10-point difference between the first inspection and the appropriateness review results has caused significant dissatisfaction among residents who had hoped for reconstruction. An owner of Godeok Jugong Complex 9 said, "We are preparing a collective complaint to Gangdong-gu Office, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Korea Land and Housing Safety Management Institute to examine whether the appropriateness review results were appropriate."

Following Mok-dong Complex 9 and 11 in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, and now Godeok Jugong Complex 9, reconstruction has been thwarted at the appropriateness review stage, leading to criticism that the strengthened safety inspection standards are unrealistic. In 2018, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport strengthened reconstruction safety inspection standards by focusing more on structural stability (from 20% to 50%) rather than residential environment (from 40% to 15%). Even if residents' quality of life significantly declines due to building aging, reconstruction becomes difficult if there are no structural problems.

Since taking office, Mayor Oh has requested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to improve safety inspection standards to revitalize reconstruction. However, the ministry has responded negatively. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Noh Hyung-wook stated at last month's confirmation hearing, "Safety inspections are a means to verify the necessity of reconstruction based on structural safety and degree of aging and deterioration," adding, "It is necessary to be cautious about relaxing standards for the sake of project activation, which is contrary to the original purpose of the system," drawing a line against deregulation. It is reported that this issue was not raised during the recent meeting between Minister Noh and Mayor Oh to promote housing supply.

As complexes fail to pass the first hurdle of safety inspections one after another, the atmosphere among reconstruction promotion complexes has also cooled. In the case of Sangye Jugong Complex 6 in Sangye-dong, Nowon-gu, it received a D grade (54.14 points) in the first detailed safety inspection, but the appropriateness review has been postponed until system improvements are made. A representative of Sangye Jugong Complex 6 explained, "Since cases passing the appropriateness review are rare, we decided to wait patiently until the safety inspection standards are relaxed."