Seoul City and Songpa-gu Clash Over Redevelopment of Old Seongdong Detention Center

Seoul City Public Housing Sale Changes Proposed
Songpa-gu "Private Sale as Original Plan, Cultural and Sports Facilities Must Be Established"

Seoul city's plan to build public sale apartments on the site of the former Seongdong Detention Center in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, has faced opposition from Songpa-gu and local residents. Photo by Tae-min Ryu right@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim On-yu] The Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to build public sale apartments on the site of the former Seongdong Detention Center in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, has met with opposition from Songpa-gu and local residents. Residents are insisting that the original plan to proceed with private sales and to establish cultural and sports facilities should be maintained.

According to the real estate industry on the 30th, Seoul is considering promoting public sale housing such as land leasehold housing and equity accumulation sale housing on the Seongdong Detention Center joint housing site, as well as supplying long-term rental housing. Initially, at the Urban Architecture Joint Committee review in March, the city planned to supply private sale apartments. However, Seoul is now reviewing a switch to public sale, citing concerns that private sales could stimulate surrounding housing prices due to high sale prices.

As Seoul pushes for the plan change, residents are opposing it. In particular, conflicts are intensifying as it has been reported that Seoul is not considering the expansion of cultural and sports facilities on the public contribution site, which residents had expected.

The Emergency Countermeasures Committee for the Seongdong Detention Center Site Development recently submitted a petition signed by 3,968 residents urging the ‘original development plan’ to Seoul and Songpa-gu Office. A committee official said, "We only hope to maintain the ‘original development plan’ agreed upon between Seoul and the residents, as discussed in previous residents’ briefings."

Park Seong-su, head of Songpa-gu Office, also urged on the 29th, "The site development should be carried out according to the original plan reflecting the opinions of Songpa residents." Songpa-gu holds the position that Seoul’s plan contradicts the ‘Expansion of Cultural Complex Facilities on the Seongdong Detention Center Relocation Site,’ which was one of Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s campaign pledges.

In response, a Seoul city official stated, "We will comprehensively review residents’ complaints and the necessity of the policy."