Land Minister: Selecting a Relocation Site for Tancheon Center Is Harder, Further Discussions Needed

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-deok addressed the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center site in Gangnam-gu proposed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as an alternative housing supply site, stating that selecting a new location to relocate the center could prove difficult and that this issue will also be discussed with Seoul.

Appearing on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show" today (27th), Minister Kim was asked whether it would take a long time to relocate the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center outside its current area. He responded, "I received the proposal directly from (Mayor Oh Se-hoon) yesterday, asked for cooperation since we do not have the data, and once we receive the data, we will begin a full-scale feasibility review."

A day prior, Mayor Oh met with Minister Kim and proposed creating a "southeastern youth-specialized industrial complex," including a youth housing complex, at the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center site, to which Minister Kim expressed a willingness to actively review the plan.

Regarding this, Minister Kim brought up the issue of relocating the Jeonju Prison, saying, "Before I became a lawmaker, former lawmakers decided to relocate the prison, and residents applauded enthusiastically. However, the key issue in relocating a prison is not just deciding to move it, but deciding where to build the new one."

He added, "When we announce where we are moving it to, lawmakers from that region cause an uproar, asking, 'Why are you trying to bring that to our area just because you want to get rid of a NIMBY facility?' I told Mayor Oh that similarly, selecting a relocation site and location for the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center is even more difficult, and discussions are intertwined with that aspect as well."

Regarding potential housing supply zones within the main Yongsan Park site, Minister Kim said, "If we mention specific sites under discussion, immediate criticism arises that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has already made up its mind." Nevertheless, he mentioned several areas, including the previously cited former Defense Acquisition Program Administration site and officers' quarters.

He stated, "If you look below the Children's Garden, there is a hospital site. Couldn't such sites be viable? Further inside, there is a school formerly used by U.S. soldiers. We are saying that we should consider housing for young people targeting such sites, and even this will go through a public deliberation process."

He continued, "Is this simply going to be approached as building homes in some areas where park and green functions have been damaged? Rather, the basic stance of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is that if we restructure Yongsan Park so that it functions properly in line with its original purpose and maintain it well, we can achieve the original purpose much more effectively."

When asked whether the entire supply volume would be filled with public rental housing if Yongsan Park is developed, Minister Kim replied, "We haven't reached that point at all yet."

He added, "This could also turn into a 'lottery rental' housing issue, so I think social debate and deliberation on such problems are necessary."

Regarding consultations with local governments such as Seoul, he said, "The reality is that (supplying housing in Yongsan Park) requires amending the law to pass through the National Assembly, and we have no choice but to consult with metropolitan and local governments regarding infrastructure. The idea that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport wants to do whatever it pleases on this matter is a misunderstanding."

Regarding the new public housing districts scaling "73,000 households + alpha," scheduled to be announced as early as the end of next month, which do not include Yongsan Park and Seoul's development restriction zones (greenbelts), Minister Kim said, "Looking at it another way, if dialogue with Mayor Oh goes well, I believe Seoul could become a source of additional supply. If just a limited 30,000 to 40,000 units are added, it can actually produce the effect of supplying over 10,000 homes."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.