Government to Designate First Phase New Town Reconstruction Pilot Zones Within 2024

Minister Won Hee-ryong and 5 Local Government Heads to Hold Meeting at the End of This Month
Five Chief Planners Appointed for Each Local Government

Munsungyo, Director of the Land and Urban Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is announcing the progress and plans for the maintenance of the first phase new towns on the 11th at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City.
[Photo by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Wanyong] The government is set to begin full-scale consultations with local governments to designate lead zones for the redevelopment of first-generation new towns in 2024.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held a briefing at the Government Complex Sejong to provide a comprehensive explanation of the "Progress on Redevelopment of First-Generation New Towns" and announced that a meeting will be held this month between the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the heads of the five local governments of the first-generation new towns. Through this meeting, the Ministry plans to discuss specific plans for the lead zones to be included in the special law (draft) and the directions for establishing basic redevelopment plans for each local government.

Additionally, the Ministry and local governments will jointly hold resident briefings this month in all local governments of the first-generation new towns, including Goyang, Seongnam, Bucheon, Anyang, and Gunpo, to explain the progress and future plans for redevelopment and actively gather opinions.

The schedule for resident briefings by local government is planned for the 17th in Bucheon (Jung-dong) and Anyang (Pyeongchon), and on the 18th in Goyang (Ilsan), Seongnam (Bundang), and Gunpo (Sanbon).

To facilitate communication between the government, local governments, and residents, and to provide advice during the establishment of basic redevelopment plans, five chief planners have been appointed for each local government. They are Professor Kim Junhyung of the Department of Real Estate at Myongji University for Goyang City, Senior Researcher Kim Kihong of the Environmental Development Research Institute at Hongik University for Seongnam City, Professor Song Hayup of the Department of Architecture at Chung-Ang University for Bucheon City, Professor Lee Beomhyeon of the Department of Urban Design and Information Engineering at Sungkyul University for Anyang City, and Adjunct Professor Kim Yongseok of the Department of Urban Transportation Engineering at Korea National University of Transportation for Gunpo City. These chief planners will participate as members of the public-private joint task force cooperation subcommittee.

Meanwhile, to swiftly advance the redevelopment of first-generation new towns, a core national agenda of the new government, a public-private joint task force was formed on May 30, shortly after the new administration took office, to discuss the direction of new town redevelopment. On the 8th of last month, a meeting was held between Minister Won and the heads of the five local governments of the first-generation new towns to establish the basic redevelopment policy.

Through this, the Ministry and the respective local governments decided to proceed with a two-track approach by simultaneously implementing the basic redevelopment policy and the basic redevelopment plans for each local government, shortening the master plan establishment period by about two years compared to the conventional method.

As a follow-up measure, the Ministry commissioned a research project to prepare the basic redevelopment policy and the special law (draft) and plans to propose the special law by February next year. Furthermore, all local governments of the first-generation new towns will commission research projects from this month until January next year to establish their basic redevelopment plans.

Minister Won stated, "We will communicate with local governments and residents so that the redevelopment of first-generation new towns can be felt substantively and ensure that lead zones can be designated along with the establishment of the master plan within 2024," adding, "We will steadily promote the redevelopment of first-generation new towns."