Controversy Over Pedestrian Passage Closure Expands Regarding Construction of Administrative Complex Building in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Seoul Jung-gu Office Plans to Build 11-Story Sogong-dong Administrative Complex on Public Parking Lot Site (Seosomun-dong 122 and 4 Other Lots); Closure of Public Pedestrian Passage from Rear Entrance of Booyoung Building Sparks Strong Opposition from 34 Tenants Inside Booyoung Building and 19 Nearby Store Merchants

Despite complaints from merchants in the Booyoung Building, fences are being erected and construction is proceeding forcibly.

The Jung-gu Office of Seoul City plans to construct an 11-story administrative complex building in Sogong-dong on the site of Seoul City’s public parking lot (Seosomun-dong 122 and 4 other parcels). As they close the public pedestrian passageway that connects to the rear side entrance of the Booyoung Building, strong opposition has arisen from 34 tenant companies inside the Booyoung Building as well as 19 merchants in the surrounding area.

Residents and merchants of the Booyoung Building and the surrounding area are requesting the cancellation of the pedestrian passage closure, stating that “closing the passageway used by about 15,000 transient people in the area for 50 years will cause a significant blow to sales, and the approximately 6,000 tenants and employees inside the Booyoung Building will no longer be guaranteed safety in case of disasters or emergencies.”

The merchants expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying, “We barely survived during COVID-19, but if the pedestrian passage is blocked, it will be difficult for outsiders to enter, and there will be no place to hang signs, which will directly hit our sales,” and added, “We are also residents of Jung-gu, but the Jung-gu Office seems to be acting too harshly.”

Problems also emerged in the administrative procedures of the Jung-gu Office. Residents only learned about the construction and the installation of fences when the project was imminent. Residents and merchants have collectively protested, hanging banners around the site with slogans such as “Guarantee the survival rights of store owners,” calling it “hasty and secretive administration.”

As complaints surged, the Seoul Jung-gu Council visited the site on the 8th and held a meeting to hear the voices of the surrounding merchants and Booyoung representatives. At the meeting, Gil Ki-young, chairman of the Jung-gu Council, called this issue a “textbook case of hasty administration” and urged for conflict resolution.

In response, the Jung-gu Office issued a press release on the 10th, stating their position. They plan to proceed with construction and traffic restrictions as scheduled, claiming that since last October, they have sent official letters requesting cooperation for the administrative complex construction and have been communicating steadily with nearby merchants through meetings.

However, the direct parties affected by the pedestrian passage closure?the Booyoung Building and nearby merchants?reported that they received notification letters about the construction without any consultation process with Seoul Jung-gu or the project implementers.

Booyoung Group confirmed through an official letter dated October 19 from the project implementer Civic Center PFV that construction related to the Sogong-dong complex building was scheduled to begin on November 1, and they were notified about the fence installation. Until then, they had no knowledge that the site right in front of the building would be developed into an administrative complex building.