Won Hee-ryong: "No Delay in Redevelopment of 1st Generation New Towns... Promise Made with Ministerial Position at Stake"

"Immediate Expansion and Reorganization of 1st New Town Redevelopment TF... Proceeding Without Delay"

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated on the 23rd, "We will immediately expand and reorganize the Task Force (TF) currently operating for the redevelopment of the 1st generation new towns." This came as a response to concerns that the redevelopment plans for the 1st generation new towns such as Bundang, Sanbon, Ilsan, Jungdong, and Pyeongchon might be delayed more than expected, with the minister reiterating, "We will proceed as quickly as possible."

Minister Won met with reporters at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day and said, "I publicly promise, putting my ministerial position on the line, that there will be no delays or setbacks in the redevelopment schedule of the 1st generation new towns due to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."

The government announced the '8.16 Real Estate Measures' on the 16th, which included a plan to "establish a master plan for the redevelopment of the 1st generation new towns in 2024." Announcing a plan to supply 2.7 million housing units over five years, it stated that the redevelopment of the 1st generation new towns in the metropolitan area would be promoted by establishing a redevelopment master plan at the level of urban re-creation in 2024 after conducting research in the second half of this year. However, there was strong backlash that this was insufficient compared to President Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign promise made in January, when he was a presidential candidate, to increase floor area ratios and ease regulations for the 1st generation new towns.

Minister Won emphasized, "There is no change in the plan to proceed with the redevelopment of the 1st generation new towns as quickly as possible," adding, "The goal is to first create measures and foundations to rebirth the 1st generation new towns as premium cities."

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong is speaking at the Real Estate Related Ministers' Meeting held on the 16th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He said, "The number of households in the 1st generation new towns alone reaches 300,000," and added, "If thorough relocation measures are not established, problems such as a surge in jeonse (long-term deposit lease) prices are inevitable." Furthermore, he stated, "It is not just about rebuilding structures, but about how to expand urban infrastructure in the currently densely built new towns and how to provide real benefits to residents in the future."

Minister Won also emphasized that the schedule for establishing the redevelopment master plan for the 1st generation new towns is being pushed forward unusually quickly to promptly fulfill campaign promises and national tasks. He said, "Considering that the redevelopment of the Yongsan Station area took 50 months and the planning of the 3rd generation new towns took 36 months, presenting the master plan for the 1st generation new towns within next year is a very fast schedule."

He added, "We plan to proceed with the project while gaining trust and support from residents, local governments, and the National Assembly," and said, "The master plan research project will be commissioned within September, and the task instructions are already being prepared." He also previewed, "After coordinating schedules with the mayors of the five new towns, we will hold a council meeting at the earliest possible date."

Additionally, he reiterated that a Master Planner (MP) will be appointed for each of the five new towns to actively engage in communication with the public. The MP system is designed to prevent issues such as disharmony between the entire complex or surrounding landscape and decreased land use efficiency, which can occur when land development and housing construction are carried out separately during the development of new towns or housing complexes. MPs appointed for each project area consistently carry out land development and three-dimensional architectural planning from the early stages of development, ensuring systematic management of planning and design processes, maintaining consistency, and securing high-quality plans.

Meanwhile, Minister Won strongly rebutted the Democratic Party of Korea's Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon's characterization of the 8.16 measures as a "breach of presidential campaign promises" on the 19th.

He said, "Most of the authority related to new town redevelopment lies with the mayors of the respective local governments, and the Gyeonggi Province Governor has no authority whatsoever," adding, "It is irresponsible for a politician to create confusion by exploiting some residents' dissatisfaction." He urged, "Do not seek shallow political gains through remarks when you have no authority or responsibility," and requested, "The five mayors of the 1st generation new towns and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will take responsibility and communicate with residents as we proceed with redevelopment, so please cooperate."