[2022 National Audit] Won Hee-ryong "1st Generation New Town Redevelopment, Pilot District Designation by 2024"

National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee National Audit

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is responding to a lawmaker's question during the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held on the 6th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.

On the 6th, Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, announced that the designation of pilot zones for the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns would be completed as early as 2024.

Minister Won made this statement in response to a question from Jo Oh-seop, a member of the Democratic Party, during the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's audit of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the National Assembly, who asked, "Isn't Minister Won out of sync regarding the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns?"

Minister Won said, "Residents of the first-generation new towns have suspicions that the government might be stalling," adding, "We will complete the master plan for the redevelopment of the first-generation new towns by 2024."

He continued, "If the principle of designating pilot zones is included in the plan, safety inspections will be conducted immediately," explaining, "If the safety inspection takes about six months, the designation of pilot zones could be made as early as 2024."

As opposition from residents of the first-generation new towns grew, President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed Minister Won at the senior secretaries meeting on the 4th to "implement practical measures that the public can feel."

The first-generation new towns, consisting of five locations?Bundang, Ilsan, Jungdong, Pyeongchon, and Sanbon?were planned during the Roh Tae-woo administration. Having been established for over 30 years, demands for redevelopment due to aging have been raised.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the local governments of the first-generation new towns recently agreed in a meeting to accelerate the redevelopment projects by establishing a master plan by 2024. The ministry will prepare the basic redevelopment policy, and each local government will simultaneously prepare the basic redevelopment plan in a 'two-track' approach.

On the 29th of last month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport commissioned the 'Study on Establishing and Institutionalizing the Master Plan for Redevelopment of the First-Generation New Towns,' effectively starting the project. After bidding, the ministry plans to sign the research contract as early as November or by the end of the year at the latest, and conduct the research for 24 months from the contract date.