Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Attends Cabinet Meeting: "Ease Real Estate Regulations, Do Not Damage Yongsan Park"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced that he attended a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Lee Jae-myung today (the 18th) and explained his stance on real estate policies.

Mayor Oh posted a message on his social media account today titled "I Will Say What Needs to Be Said to Protect Seoul's Future."

"I attended today's Cabinet meeting and clearly stated Seoul City's position to the President and Cabinet ministers," Mayor Oh wrote. "First, I requested that blockading regulations be lifted so that the pace of redevelopment and reconstruction can be further accelerated."

While noting that it is fortunate that the government's August 13 measures partially reflected Seoul City's long-standing requests regarding maintenance projects, Mayor Oh emphasized, "We still have a long way to go," adding, "Regulations that must be lifted, such as restrictions on the transfer of cooperative member status, floor area ratios, and the proportion of public rental housing, still remain."

Mayor Oh pointed out that if housing supply is a desperate task, more realistic solutions must be prioritized. "Even though we have a clear answer sheet in redevelopment and reconstruction, we must not be in a rush to announce supply numbers by searching for land in odd places," he noted.

"I also clearly stated my opposition to the issue of building apartments in Yongsan Park to the President today," Mayor Oh said.

He emphasized, "Just as major world cities like New York's Central Park, London's Hyde Park, and Paris's Luxembourg Gardens have preserved green spaces in the middle of their urban centers as symbols of the city and assets for future generations, Yongsan Park is also a precious space that must be preserved for Seoul's future."

He continued, "That is why past Democratic Party presidents have also maintained the principle that Yongsan Park must not be recklessly damaged."

He reiterated the need to preserve green spaces, noting that while Seoul may seem to have sufficient green areas when looking at total park space due to its mountainous terrain, the per capita park area within walking distance that citizens can enjoy in their daily lives is only 5.7 square meters.

"The quality of citizens' lives is just as important as the number of houses," Mayor Oh warned. "Stating that additional housing supply is urgently needed and thus consuming what future generations should enjoy ultimately means sacrificing the lives of future generations."

He added, "I once again made it clear at the Cabinet meeting that the government must not push forward with anything that damages Yongsan Park without sufficient social discussion and national consensus."

He vowed, "There are principles even to blind housing supply. Housing can be built elsewhere, but once urban green spaces are gone, they are hard to recreate. I will fulfill my responsibilities to the end to protect the share of future generations."

Mayor Oh added that during today's Cabinet meeting, he also requested an overall review of the government's real estate policy stance, including real estate taxes and actual residency regulations.

(Photo provided by the Blue House Photo Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.