Government: "First-generation New Town Redevelopment Will Proceed Smoothly... As Quickly As Possible"

President Yoon Suk-yeol, while still president-elect, attended a first-generation new town aging apartment issue inspection held at an apartment in Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province on May 2 ＜Photo by Transition Committee Photographers＞

Regarding the controversy over whether the redevelopment plans for the first-generation new towns such as Bundang, Sanbon, Ilsan, Jungdong, and Pyeongchon are being delayed more than expected, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the responsible department, has stepped in to clarify, stating, "We will proceed without any setbacks and as quickly as possible."

On the 20th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press release, "We are swiftly implementing follow-up measures for the 'first-generation new town redevelopment' pledge made to the public," adding, "The government will do its utmost to ensure that the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns proceeds at the fastest possible pace."

The ministry stated, "Immediately after the government was launched, on May 30, we began follow-up measures for the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns, formed a public-private joint task force, started discussions, and identified tasks to be addressed in the master plan."

It continued, "Based on this, we plan to issue a research service order by September and commence the research as quickly as possible, aiming to complete the master plan within 2024."

Typically, establishing urban and residential environment maintenance basic plans for reconstruction and redevelopment, as well as master plans for large-scale development projects, takes more than two years.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport emphasized, "The schedule for establishing the first-generation new town redevelopment master plan is being pushed forward unusually quickly to ensure the prompt fulfillment of pledges and national agenda items."

This explanation appears to be an attempt to quickly quell emerging controversy over delays in the pledge related to the '8.16 Real Estate Measures' announced earlier, which included plans to establish the first-generation new town redevelopment master plan in 2024, by stating that such claims are "not true."

The Presidential Office also expressed its stance to devote full efforts at the fastest possible pace regarding the first-generation new town redevelopment project.

On the afternoon of the 19th, Choi Sang-mok, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs, said at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office, "The government's announcement to complete the master plan in 2024 is an exceptionally fast schedule," and emphasized, "We will do our utmost to ensure that the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns proceeds as quickly as possible, in line with President Yoon Seok-yeol's pledge and promise."

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong announced the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's first housing supply plan on the 16th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Meanwhile, the government announced the '8.16 Real Estate Measures' on the 16th, which included the plan to establish the first-generation new town redevelopment master plan in 2024.

Along with the plan to supply 2.7 million housing units over five years, it stated that the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns in the metropolitan area would proceed through research services in the second half of this year, culminating in the establishment of a redevelopment master plan at the level of urban re-creation in 2024.

Although the master plan roadmap was reflected in this real estate measure, there was backlash that it was significantly insufficient compared to the pledge made by President Yoon Seok-yeol during his presidential campaign last January, which included increasing floor area ratios and easing regulations for the first-generation new towns.

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province from the Democratic Party, also posted on Facebook on the 19th, saying, "Both ruling and opposition candidates pledged to increase floor area ratios and ease regulations for the first-generation new towns during the last presidential election, but to break this promise so easily is to disregard the people," and added, "Delaying the establishment of the master plan until 2024 is effectively breaking the presidential campaign pledge."