Han Byungseok, President of Singadong Housing Redevelopment Association in Gwangju: "Construction to Begin Within the Year"

A New Executive Team Takes Office Amid Contractor Disputes Over Pre-sale Prices
"Single-Brand Policy Maintained... No Compromise on Members' Interests"

The site view of the redevelopment project area in Singadong, Gwangsan District, Gwangju, visited on February 27. Photo by Kim Wanjung

The Singadong Housing Redevelopment Association in Gwangsan District, Gwangju, has taken a step toward normalizing its project by electing Han Byungseok as the new president.

According to Asia Economy's coverage on June 9, the association held its 2025 regular general meeting at 2 p.m. on June 8 in the convention hall on the fourth floor of the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju, where it discussed key agenda items, including the election of the president. The presidential election was conducted electronically. As a result, candidate number 2, Han Byungseok, won with 428 votes, defeating candidate number 1, Na Bongsik, who received 345 votes, and candidate number 3, Cho Youngmoo, who received 369 votes.

In a phone interview with this newspaper, the new president Han stated, "What members are most curious about is the construction start date," and added, "Although I pledged to begin construction within the year, I wanted to appeal to the members not just with words as a candidate, but by presenting concrete plans."

He continued, "We are seeking balance at the point where market logic and the interests of our members collide," and emphasized, "While we will maintain the single-brand policy with the current contractor, we cannot accept any conditions that harm the interests of the association."

He also stated that the results of negotiations would be presented as agenda items at the general meeting for members to decide. Regarding the direction of the association's management, he added, "Communication will be our top priority, and we will create a structure in which all procedures are shared with and explained to the members."

Members also expressed their expectations. Member A said, "The project had come to a halt after the dismissal, but now there is someone to take responsibility and lead it," and added, "This time, there needs to be real progress."

On the afternoon of February 22, at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju, a union member is examining a ballot paper during the dismissal general meeting of the executive committee of the Singadong Housing Redevelopment Association. The meeting was hosted by the Singa Redevelopment Normalization Promotion Committee, with a total of 849 members participating, including those who submitted written resolutions and on-site voters. The motion to dismiss the union president was passed with 836 votes in favor, 3 against, and 10 abstentions. Photo by Song Bohyun

The Singa redevelopment project has been underway since it was designated as a maintenance zone in 2011, with a total project cost of 1.8 trillion won. The project aims to build an apartment complex with 4,718 units (including 403 rental units) in buildings ranging from three basement levels to 29 above-ground floors. Although the management and disposal plan was approved in 2020, the project has stagnated for several years due to conflicts over pre-sale prices with the contractor and internal disputes within the association.