As the government has explicitly stated its intention to utilize Yongsan Park, a large-scale green space in downtown Seoul, for housing supply, the blueprint for the development of Yongsan—often considered prime real estate in the heart of Seoul—is increasingly likely to undergo significant changes.

According to the government today (August 18), a representative example of ongoing urban development projects in Yongsan has been the Yongsan International Business District.

This project aims to transform an idle site of approximately 460,000 square meters, formerly used as a railway vehicle maintenance depot, into a global convergence business hub by creating a space that integrates international business facilities, housing, commerce, and culture.

However, differences between the central government and the local government regarding the housing volume to be supplied in the Yongsan International Business District still persist.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government initially planned to supply 6,000 households. After the government announced a target of 10,000 households, the city stated it could accommodate up to 8,000, but a compromise has not yet been reached between the two sides.

The city of Seoul points out that if the residential ratio increases to the level proposed by the government, not only would the original purpose of the project as an international business district be undermined, but an increase in housing supply without expanding infrastructure such as transportation networks and schools raises concerns about haphazard development.

While the government has stated its plan to push for the commencement of housing construction by the end of 2028 in consultation with Seoul and Yongsan-gu, and maintains its stance to continue discussions with the city regarding housing volume, it remains uncertain whether the gap in views can be narrowed.


Aside from the Yongsan International Business District, development is also being pursued on returned U.S. military sites, such as the former Camp Kim site near Namyeong and Samgakji stations (2,500 households) and the U.S. 501st Intelligence Brigade site near Seobinggo Station (150 households).

Amidst these developments, the plan to utilize the Yongsan Park site for housing supply—which has been intermittently discussed in the past—has recently surfaced to the forefront, emerging as a major variable in the overall framework of Yongsan's development.

Yongsan Park is a large-scale downtown park and green space with a total area of approximately 3 million square meters (about 907,000 pyeong). Because it is a national park managed based on a special act, legal revisions are required to build housing there.

While the Children's Garden, which accounts for about one-tenth of the park's total area, has been primarily discussed as a supply site, the government's stance is to comprehensively examine usable sites across the entirety of Yongsan Park rather than limiting it to the Children's Garden.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-deok, during a press conference on the 14th marking his first year in office, addressed a question regarding plans to supply housing utilizing the Yongsan Children's Garden by stating, "If we say Children's Garden, that is a narrow concept; we are considering the entire Yongsan Park."

This indicates that the target sites under review are not limited to the Children's Garden.

In Seoul, plans are also being pursued to supply housing by lifting greenbelt restrictions in certain areas such as Taereung Golf Course and Seoripul. However, given that there are few suitable new residential sites in the city center that can generate large-scale housing supply effects other than demolishing existing homes through private redevelopment projects, attention appears to have eventually turned toward Yongsan Park.

Nevertheless, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Yongsan-gu strongly oppose utilizing Yongsan Park for housing supply, citing its symbolism, utility, and future value as a large-scale national park in the city center.

While the government does not necessarily require the consent of local governments to supply housing in Yongsan Park through legal amendments, it is observed that it will seek maximum cooperation by gathering opinions from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yongsan-gu, and environmental organizations, as unilateral enforcement could trigger a public backlash and carry heavy political burdens.

It is reported that if housing supply is actually pursued in the Children's Garden, which is currently considered the most likely candidate, the government is reviewing public rental housing targeted at the younger generation as the main type of supply.

This is interpreted as a plan to supply high-quality rental housing to actual end-users while blocking the possibility of a "lottery subscription," given that it is a prime location along the Han River belt.

(Photo: Yonhap News)