24-Minute "Star Mayor Oh Se-hoon" Video Released
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is promoting the development of the Gangbuk area under the goal of "Reviving the Golden Age of Gangbuk," emphasized the importance of the Sewoon District redevelopment project-currently embroiled in controversy over potential damage to the Jongmyo Shrine landscape-by comparing it to acupuncture. He also proposed supplying 8,000 housing units in the Yongsan International Business District.
Released on the Official Website of the Seoul Mayor
On December 24, the Seoul Metropolitan Government released a video titled "Star Mayor Oh Se-hoon - Reviving the Golden Age of Gangbuk: The Sewoon District and Urban Re-Creation" on the official website of the Seoul Mayor. The video, about 24 minutes long, features Mayor Oh giving a direct lecture in front of a chalkboard and is the second installment following the first episode released on December 3.
Regarding the revision of the World Heritage Act Enforcement Decree by the National Heritage Administration, which could affect the development of the Sewoon District, Mayor Oh pointed out, "The law should be applied based on clear standards, but if the scope of influence is arbitrarily expanded at the discretion of the National Heritage Administration, thereby exerting influence on urban development, it violates the principle of proportionality."
He further argued, "If a heritage impact assessment is required, development in many redevelopment zones in the Gangbuk area will be restricted, and the painstaking efforts the Seoul Metropolitan Government has made through initiatives such as the Fast-Track Integrated Planning (Sintong Planning) will be in vain."
Introducing the city’s regional development strategies, Mayor Oh likened the approach to acupuncture, explaining that by concentrating investment in specific locations where policy effects can spread to surrounding areas, the entire city can be revitalized-a concept he called the "acupuncture effect."
The targeted areas are: ▲National Central Axis (Gwanghwamun to City Hall) ▲Historical, Cultural, and Tourism Axis (Insadong to Myeong-dong) ▲North-South Green Axis (Sewoon District) ▲Complex Cultural Axis (DDP) ▲Global Commercial Axis, making a total of five key zones.
Mayor Oh stated, "Among the urban re-creation plans, the Sewoon District project is the most crucial initiative for delivering the 'acupuncture effect' that will transform the city center," adding, "We will seek solutions that achieve harmony between the two values of preserving national heritage and advancing the urban core, without sacrificing either."
Emphasizing the Effects of Sintong Planning
Additionally, Mayor Oh mentioned redevelopment zones in Gangbuk, such as Changsin-Sungin, Mia 2 Urban Renewal Zone in Gangbuk District, Jangwi 13 Zone in Seongbuk District, and Baeksa Village in Nowon District. He said, "Recognizing the need for groundbreaking measures in the northeastern and central urban areas, where the proportion of old housing is relatively high, we introduced Sintong Planning and achieved rapid progress."
He explained, "By increasing the floor area ratio for apartments from 200% to 250%, the number of units rises, enabling reconstruction through sales profits, and the number of rental units provided as public contributions also increases, allowing more citizens to be housed." He added, "Since the introduction of the system, the number of redevelopment sites has increased by 26, and the number of reconstruction sites by 11, with the number of sales units growing by up to 10%."
In response to the ruling party's suggestion to use the Yongsan International Business District for housing supply, Mayor Oh expressed opposition, stating, "If we hastily add more apartments than necessary to a space intended for the future, we may regret it later when housing prices stabilize."
He further commented, "If an excessive number of housing units is supplied, the entire plan would need to be redrawn, which could actually hinder rapid supply," adding, "I have proposed to the government to include 8,000 units, which is a manageable figure at this time."
Furthermore, he reiterated his commitment to resolving Gangbuk's inadequate transportation infrastructure and improving regional development and citizens' living environments by ensuring the smooth implementation of projects such as the new Gangbuk Cross-City Underground Expressway, the extension of the Ui-Sinseol Line, and the Myeonmok Line light rail.
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