Ikwon Jae, Osan Mayor, Requests Booyoung to "Demolish Abandoned Factory on Gyeseong Paper Site"

Request to Use Idle Land as Temporary Parking Lot

Osan City in Gyeonggi Province has proposed the demolition of the abandoned factory and the temporary use of the parking lot on the site of the former Gyesung Paper Mill in Osandong.

On the 13th, Osan City announced that Mayor Lee Gwon-jae visited the headquarters of Booyoung Group in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 11th and met with Chairman Lee Joong-geun of the company to convey this proposal.

Lee Kwon-jae (right), mayor of Osan City, who visited the headquarters of Booyoung Group, is shaking hands with Lee Joong-geun, chairman of the company. Provided by Osan City

The Gyesung Paper Mill site in Osandong 637 area is a land of 112,422㎡ located right next to Osan Station. Booyoung purchased this land in 2011 under the pretext of a rental housing project, but no development has taken place for over 13 years.

During the meeting, Mayor Lee said, "We appreciate Booyoung Group’s recognition of the future value of the Osan Station area and their efforts to establish a landmark on the Gyesung Paper Mill site. However, we hope you will take an interest in proactively maintaining and utilizing the site before development."

Specifically, Mayor Lee suggested to Booyoung ▲temporary use of the idle land as a parking lot ▲demolition of abandoned buildings on the site to improve urban aesthetics.

The city’s proposal is to utilize the space within the idle land to install a temporary parking lot for commuters transferring between Line 1 subway and buses at Osan Station, thereby enhancing convenience for citizens. The city is also pursuing plans to demolish the abandoned factory buildings, which have become eyesores due to long-term neglect, to improve urban aesthetics and prevent slumification.

Mayor Lee also emphasized the need for cooperation between both parties on ▲future-oriented development plans and concepts for the idle factory land ▲development plans based on the basic direction for revitalizing the Osan Station area ▲compensation work related to the construction of the Gyeongbu Line railway crossing road.

Chairman Lee responded, "We will review and cooperate on areas where the group can assist."

The development of Gyesung Paper Mill is one of the core urban rebuilding plans promoted by Mayor Lee since the launch of the 8th local government. This is because the area will form a quadruple station zone if the extension of the GTX C Line to Osan, KTX stops at Osan from Suwon, and urban rail transit become a reality alongside the existing Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1.

The city is continuing discussions with Booyoung to create a complex district on the Gyesung Paper Mill site. To this end, Mayor Lee visited Booyoung Group’s headquarters and met with Chairman Lee in December last year. In February this year, a business agreement was signed for the prompt development of the site, attended by Chairman Lee Hee-beom.