[Interview] Lee Gijae, Yangcheon District Mayor, “Creating a 'Future-Type Smart New Town' Model for Mokdong Apartments”

Improving Safety Inspection System Accelerates Reconstruction and Urban Development
Urban Development Promotion Team, Chief Architect, and Apartment Safety Inspection Advisory Group Operate Jointly
Proactive Measures to Expand Public Transportation

"Mokdong Apartments is a planned city. Through creative urban planning, we will transform Yangcheon-gu into a future-oriented smart city so that the future of Mokdong Apartments can serve as a good role model for new towns to be developed."

Lee Gijae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, expressed his strategic commitment to the Mokdong Apartments reconstruction project, which will be transformed into a mini new town within Seoul, in an interview with Asia Economy.

Since shortly after his election, the mayor has continuously visited related government agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City to urge the relaxation of safety inspection standards for the prompt promotion of the long-standing Mokdong Apartments reconstruction project. As a result, within eight months of taking office, he put the previously stalled Mokdong Apartments reconstruction back on track, demonstrating his capabilities as an urban engineering expert.

First, in November last year, the district unit plan for the Mokdong Residential Development District passed Seoul City’s review after more than four years, and simultaneously, Mokdong Complex 6 was selected for rapid integrated planning, giving momentum to the reconstruction efforts. Furthermore, following the revised safety inspection standards announced in January this year, Yangcheon-gu now has a total of 12 complexes?including 11 Mokdong Apartment complexes and the Sinwol Shiyeong Apartments?that have received a 'reconstruction' judgment in safety inspections, enabling the full-scale promotion of reconstruction projects.

The significant increase in complexes passing the reconstruction safety inspections was due to the mayor’s proposal last September to the Seoul City Mayors’ Council regarding the 'Improvement of the Public Institution Appropriateness Review System,' which was fully reflected in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s revised safety inspection standards. The mandatory appropriateness review by public institutions was redefined to be conducted only when requested by the district mayor, who best understands local characteristics and the condition of aging complexes. The revised relaxed regulations were also applied to complexes undergoing appropriateness reviews, shortening project durations and reducing additional costs for residents due to re-inspections.

To actively support reconstruction and redevelopment projects administratively and to accelerate project progress, the district plans to establish a triangular alliance of the 'Urban Development Promotion Team ? Chief Architect ? Multi-family Housing Safety Inspection Advisory Group' to drive urban development in earnest. The 'Urban Development Promotion Team' was newly established directly under the mayor’s office and has been in full operation since January this year. Mayor Lee said, "The Urban Development Promotion Team will proactively respond to the diverse needs of residents and become a driving force leading future urban development projects."

Yangcheon-gu will newly operate the 'Chief Architect of Yangcheon-gu' to strengthen the district’s unique urban environmental competitiveness. Private experts will support public project promotion by reviewing, coordinating, and advising on urban architectural design policy formulation and all stages of project planning and operation. Additionally, the 'Multi-family Housing Safety Inspection Advisory Group,' formed on the 16th of last month, is expected to greatly contribute to enhancing expertise in safety inspections by conducting on-site investigations and reviewing the feasibility of inspections upon requests for reconstruction or remodeling safety inspections.

With the designation of the Mokdong complexes as a special planning zone following the district unit plan decision, the project has entered the stage of establishing a maintenance plan. However, during the 2004 zoning subdivision process, only complexes 1 to 3 among the 14 Mokdong complexes were designated as second-class general residential areas, raising issues of fairness among complexes. Complexes 1 to 3 must supply 20% of the increased floor area ratio, due to the upgrade to third-class, as publicly supported private rental housing. Mayor Lee stated, "Mokdong Complexes 1 to 3 are representative cases that suffered significant damage due to the zoning subdivision policy. We will continuously request Seoul City to unconditionally restore complexes 1 to 3 during the maintenance plan establishment to fully recover the property rights of residents unfairly infringed upon."

As reconstruction and redevelopment projects progress rapidly, the early expansion of public transportation to accommodate the increasing population is an urgent issue to be addressed. Mayor Lee emphasized, "Light rail projects should be approached as welfare projects for regional balanced development and citizen convenience rather than profitability. The Mokdong Line is a very important route passing through Yangcheon-gu and must proactively respond to population increases due to Mokdong reconstruction."

Regarding the extension of Sinwol Sageori Station on Line 2, a major campaign pledge, he said, "We plan to promote this through close consultation with Seoul City to have the extension route included in future revisions of Seoul’s urban rail network construction plan," adding, "We will do our utmost to expand the transportation network to solve the insufficient transportation issues in the Sinwol-dong area and promote regional balanced development."

Mayor Lee concluded, "This year will be a leap forward as the first year to fully implement the vision of Yangcheon as a place where anyone wants to live and that is good to live in. Based on the foundation laid since the launch of the 8th elected administration, we will do our best to restore the vitality of the city and realize the policies and projects promised to residents as visible results."