Where Will Cats Displaced by Redevelopment Go? [Hello? Animal]

Stray Cats Losing Shelter Due to Redevelopment and Reconstruction
Facing Life Threats or Starvation Amid Building Debris in Ruined Residential Areas
Political Circles Focus Only on 'Housing Shortage' Resolution
Experts: "Urgent Problem Solving Needed... Local Governments, Developers, and Reconstruction Associations Must Take Action"

On the afternoon of February 17, two days before the solar term "Usu" (Rain Water), when snow melts and turns into rain, a cat is quenching its thirst at Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Recently, as redevelopment and reconstruction projects have become active around old downtown areas with aging houses, the survival rights of numerous stray cats left on the streets have come to the forefront. Stray cats in the ruined residential areas face dangers due to trash or are at risk of starvation because they cannot find food.

With the upcoming launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, expectations for reconstruction and redevelopment are growing. This is because President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol promised during the last presidential election to supply more than 2.5 million houses over five years through expanding housing supply and deregulation.

Specifically, 470,000 houses (305,000 in the metropolitan area) will be supplied through reconstruction and redevelopment, 1.42 million houses (740,000 in the metropolitan area) through public land development, 200,000 houses (130,000 in the metropolitan area) through urban and station area complex development, 180,000 houses (140,000 in the metropolitan area) through national and public land and vehicle depot complex development, 100,000 houses (65,000 in the metropolitan area) through small-scale maintenance projects, and 130,000 houses (120,000 in the metropolitan area) through other methods such as purchase agreements and private development.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is also focusing on the "Oh Se-hoon style redevelopment." Since Mayor Oh took office, architectural design plans for six reconstruction complexes, including Jamsil 5 Complex, which had been delayed for over three years due to disagreements over securing school sites and environmental impact assessments, and Bangbae Shindong-A, which was stuck in the architectural review stage, have been approved. Additionally, the Yeouido district unit plan is nearing completion, and normalization of major reconstructions in areas such as Mok-dong and Apgujeong is underway. As soaring real estate prices have made housing difficulties a major issue, the political sphere appears to be accelerating housing supply efforts.

A cat is sitting at the Garak-dong Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

While the old downtown areas are redeveloped and humans gain better living environments, the problem lies with the stray cats left in the residential areas scheduled for demolition. Humans can leave their residences and find new homes once reconstruction and redevelopment are confirmed, but cats, which have no concept of relocation, remain in the ruins left behind by humans and face threats to their survival. During the demolition process, stray cats suffer from loud noises or are crushed to death by building debris such as glass, concrete, and bricks.

Stray cats left in apartment complexes and residential areas also face the risk of starvation. This is because the surroundings become ruins, making it difficult to find food, and some cats become accustomed to food provided by nearby residents, hindering their natural foraging activities.

The issue of stray cats losing their habitats due to reconstruction and redevelopment became a serious social problem when residents of Dunchon Jugong Apartments in Gangdong-gu, Seoul raised concerns about the cats' relocation. In 2017, Dunchon Jugong Apartments had received approval for a management disposition plan and was preparing for the largest-scale reconstruction in the country.

As residents began relocating at that time, efforts to consider the relocation of stray cats emerged, leading to the formation of the "Dunchon Nyangi" group. They held a "Preliminary Research Meeting for the Ecological Relocation of Stray Cats" with Gangdong-gu, Seoul, and pondered the survival of stray cats. Film director Jung Jae-eun, who collaborated with them, documented the relocation project of approximately 250 cats in the recently released film "Cats' Apartment."

With many redevelopment and reconstruction projects expected in the future, the roles of not only private organizations like "Dunchon Nyangi" but also the government and local governments are required to ensure the safe relocation of stray cats. Experts emphasize that before legal systems are established, local governments, project implementers, and reconstruction associations should cooperate to address the survival rights of stray cats currently under threat.

Lee Won-bok, head of the Korea Animal Protection Union, pointed out, "Reconstruction and redevelopment are ongoing in more than 10,000 places nationwide, pushing stray cats to the brink of death. While environmental impact assessments pay attention to relocating even a single tree, there are no measures for living, moving cats, and local governments, construction companies, and reconstruction associations lack awareness of this issue."

He added, "Since establishing legal systems takes a long time, local governments should take the lead in addressing stray cat protection in residential maintenance areas by providing budget support. While voluntary participation from the private sector is important, the government should also make efforts such as expanding stray cat safety ordinances currently in place in some local governments."