Jeon Hyunhee: "Showpiece Administration... Dismantle DDP"
Seoul City: "Increased Consumption... Revitalized Commercial District"
City Council Joins the Fray... People Power Party: "Dismantling Seoul"
Policy Clashes Expand and Intensify Ahead of Election
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) has emerged as a key issue in the Seoul mayoral election in June. This is different from new development issues such as the Sewoon District 4 project, the Taereung Golf Course, and the Sampyo Remicon site. As even a pledge has been made to dismantle DDP, which has been in operation for 12 years after an investment of 500 billion won, the clashes among major contenders are expected to intensify further.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 5th, the cumulative number of visitors to DDP has exceeded 120 million since its opening in 2014. The city believes that as the living population in the surrounding area has increased, consumption activities have also risen. An analysis by the Seoul AI Institute of seven major cultural events held at DDP in 2024 showed that, during the event periods, sales in the commercial area inside DDP increased by an average of 12.2%, and sales in the entire Dongdaemun commercial district rose by an average of 10.8% as the living population grew.
A view of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung-gu, Seoul, which has emerged as a point of contention in the upcoming June Seoul mayoral election. The Asia Business Daily
The consumer base has also diversified depending on the type of cultural event. In the case of the "DDP Spring Festival," spending by foreigners stood out. During the festival, foreigner sales increased by an average of 21.7% in the vicinity of DDP and by an average of 22.8% in the Dongdaemun commercial district. It was analyzed that visitors enjoyed the DDP Spring Festival and then moved on to nearby commercial areas to spend money.
However, Representative Jeon Hyunhee of the Democratic Party of Korea, who declared her candidacy for the Seoul mayoral election on the 2nd, has a different assessment. She argued that "(DDP) is a prime example of showpiece administration that, being cut off from the fashion and clothing shopping districts around Dongdaemun, has turned the commercial district into a ghost town," and put forward its "dismantling" as her first campaign pledge.
She pledged to build the world's largest "Seoul Dome" on the site and turn it into a landmark that truly represents Seoul. Jeon said, "We will create a multipurpose Seoul Dome arena that can be converted at the push of a button into a baseball stadium, a soccer stadium, an e-sports arena, or a venue for fashion and cultural events, thereby reviving the historical significance and symbolism of Dongdaemun as the former 'holy ground of baseball'."
The problem is the additional cost and time required to demolish DDP, which was built with an investment of 500 billion won, and construct a new facility in its place. Regarding how to raise the necessary funds, Jeon proposed attracting private capital as an alternative. She said, "In fact, members of our campaign staff have already made contact," adding, "Many companies, including major domestic entertainment agencies and broadcasters, have shown strong interest in investing, so securing funds is fully feasible."
The confrontation has expanded to the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Yoon Younghee, spokesperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council for the People Power Party, criticized Jeon’s remarks as a "declaration to dismantle Seoul," saying, "The costs of demolition and new construction will ultimately fall on the citizens. The reason this visionless pledge is filled with building demolition is that she has no vision of her own."
In response, Park Subin, spokesperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council for the Democratic Party of Korea, defended Jeon, saying, "Despite the injection of an enormous budget of around 500 billion won, DDP has failed to revitalize the local economy in the Dongdaemun area for more than 10 years since its opening," and added, "The key is that we must raise a policy question about whether DDP is truly contributing properly to Seoul’s urban functions and to citizens’ lives."
This is not the first time DDP has become a political flashpoint. DDP was completed in the period when the mayoralty passed back and forth between current Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon and former Mayor Park Wonsoon, and its actual operation went through many twists and turns. There were ongoing disputes not only over budget cuts but also over how it should be operated. One result was that completion was delayed by more than a year compared with the original schedule.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has been unable to hide its discomfort over major policy initiatives becoming politicized ahead of the local elections. A senior city official said, "Policy debates in the run-up to an election should be refined in a direction that serves citizens, but instead, alternatives that fail to take finances or everyday life into account are causing confusion."
As the election race heats up in earnest, development issues are expected to become even more contentious. The controversy over damage to cultural heritage landscapes surrounding the redevelopment of Sewoon District 4, adjacent to Jongmyo Shrine, has turned into a long-term battle. The president has even weighed in on the government’s recent plan to use the Taereung Golf Course (Country Club) site for urban housing supply. On the 3rd, Mayor Oh and Jung Wonoh, head of Seongdong District, engaged in a war of words over who was taking the lead in the development of the Sampyo Remicon site in Seongdong District.
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