Fierce Debate Erupts Over Yongsan Park as Push for Housing Accelerates

[Anchor]

Debate is intensifying over plans to supply housing on the Yongsan Park site in Seoul. While the ruling bloc advocates using the land for youth housing, the opposition argues it should be preserved for future generations, drawing even the government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government into a battle for public opinion.

Reporter Park Chan-beom has the details.

[Reporter]

At yesterday's National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee meeting on the 19th...

The government's plan to build public rental housing for young people on a portion of the Yongsan Park site came under fire.

Opposition lawmakers argued that turning the former Yongsan U.S. military base into a park was the wish of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, questioning whether the current ruling bloc intends to break that promise.

[Kim Mi-ae / People Power Party lawmaker: You say it is for future generations, but why are you arbitrarily reducing the park green space that future generations should be enjoying? Thorough deliberation is required.]

Ruling party lawmakers countered that young people cannot afford multi-billion-won private apartments, framing the plan as a measure to ease housing instability for the younger generation.

[Cho In-cheol / Democratic Party lawmaker: Isn't the basic intent to supply housing by developing public land and creating apartments on a part of the Yongsan Park site, since supplying housing to youth through redevelopment is not easy?]

The government explained that the plan involves partial development, not the entirety of Yongsan Park.

[Kim Yun-deok / Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: Providing housing, especially youth housing, in a limited manner in areas that are partially losing their function as park green spaces...]

The ruling and conservative opposition blocs, divided on the issue, appear to have effectively entered a public opinion battle.

Ha Jun-kyung, Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Growth, mentioned a "purposeful land-use change for public interest" in a media interview, stating, "It is hard to find a case anywhere in the world where such a large tract of land is turned entirely into a park."

[Ha Jun-kyung / Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Growth (TV Chosun News Parade): If you visit the Yongsan Children's Garden area, there are not many people. I think it is very important that this prime piece of land is well utilized.]

Meanwhile, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon urged the government during a discussion with People Power Party lawmakers to first lift regulations on reconstruction and redevelopment.

[Oh Se-hoon / Mayor of Seoul: We must not attempt to cover up the failure to stabilize housing prices by targeting Yongsan Park. We should start by lifting core regulations (on reconstruction and redevelopment).]

The amendment to the Special Act on Yongsan Park, which would partially ease regulations on sites surrounding the base, is also a source of controversy.

While the pan-ruling bloc is weighing whether to submit the bill to today's plenary session, opposition lawmakers demanded a re-examination at the standing committee level, a request rejected by lawmakers of the pan-ruling bloc.

(Camera and reporting: Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan | Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.