Over 5 Years from 2022 to 2026, Approximately 2.3 Billion KRW Invested to Target 134 Out of 351 Vacant Houses
Vacant House Demolition Followed by Village Parking Lot Development
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seongjang Hyun) announced the Yongsan-gu Vacant House Maintenance Plan on the 29th of last month. The plan aims to efficiently manage vacant houses left unattended in residential areas to prevent social issues such as safety accidents and crimes.
The project will be carried out over five years from 2022 to 2026, targeting a total of 134 households. The total project cost is approximately 2.3 billion KRW.
Through a vacant house survey conducted in 2019 by the professional institution Korea Real Estate Board, 351 vacant houses were identified in the area. Among these, 134 houses eligible for the maintenance plan were selected, while 217 houses located in maintenance zones, SH purchases, non-residential properties, or voluntary maintenance cases were excluded from the maintenance target.
The district separately designated three locations in Yongsan-dong 2-ga as vacant house concentration zones to systematically manage vacant houses and surrounding areas. There are 21 vacant houses within these concentration zones.
The maintenance plan varies according to the grade of the vacant houses. Grade 1 and 2 houses, which are in relatively good physical condition, will be remodeled and repurposed into rental housing or small-scale living SOC facilities such as small libraries.
Grade 3 and 4 houses will be subject to safety measures and management plans aimed at demolition, or after demolition, the sites will be utilized as village parking lots, rest areas, or community gardens reflecting the surrounding conditions and residents’ needs.
The district designated ▲46 houses eligible for Seoul City vacant house repair support ▲18 houses for safety measures and management plans ▲32 houses for history management ▲38 houses for demolition.
Vacant houses eligible for Seoul City repair support can receive up to 17 million KRW per household to repair fences, roofs, waterproofing, windows, insulation, exterior walls, and facilities for reuse.
For vacant houses subject to safety measures and management plans, with the owner's consent, vacant house stickers and safety signs will be attached, and safety fences installed if necessary to minimize resident damage. The lists of vacant houses will be notified to the local police and fire stations for focused management.
Among Grade 1 and 2 houses excluded from the repair support and safety management plans, 32 houses in good condition will have their histories managed through the vacant house maintenance system.
For houses designated for demolition, owners will be encouraged to voluntarily demolish them; if they refuse, compulsory demolition can be enforced. Failure to comply with demolition orders (safety measures) will result in penalties. After demolition, the vacant lots will be guided for public use and utilization plans will be established.
A district official stated, “If vacant lots are left unattended after demolition, they become unmanaged and prone to illegal dumping,” adding, “Two houses in Yongsan-dong 2-ga are already planned to be demolished in agreement with the owners and will be used as village parking lots.”
For the remaining 36 houses, on-site inspections, owner consultations, and opinions from related departments will be gathered to establish utilization plans after demolition.
Seongjang Hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “The district has many old houses, including Japanese colonial era houses,” and added, “We will creatively explore ways to utilize vacant houses so that owners and the community can coexist.”
Meanwhile, if owners negotiate with the autonomous district for free use of vacant houses, Seoul City will fully support demolition costs. If the agreement lasts more than one year, property tax on the site will be exempted, and the autonomous district will bear the cost of restoring the site after the contract ends.
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