Seoul wins building-handover suit against Hangang Cooperative after earlier injunction victory; city calls ruling a precedent for strict, rule-based administration

Seoul City Hall [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Seoul City Hall [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Bureau has won a legal battle against Social Cooperative Hangang — formerly the operator of Yeouido Saetgang Ecology Park — over the unauthorized occupation of a park facility.

Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the city on May 29 in a building-handover suit involving the Yeouido Saetgang Experience Center, which the cooperative had continued to occupy after its management contract expired without completing the required restoration and handover, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday.

The cooperative had earlier challenged the fairness of the process to select a new private operator, filing an injunction in Seoul Central District Court in March last year to block the bidding procedure. The court dismissed that application in May last year, ruling in the city's favor, and the operator-selection process proceeded in accordance with relevant regulations.

Despite that ruling, the cooperative continued to occupy the experience center without completing a proper handover. The city responded by filing both an emergency building-handover injunction and a full building-handover lawsuit to restore normal operations and management of the public facility.

The emergency injunction was granted in October last year. The subsequent lawsuit went through eight rounds of proceedings over roughly 10 months before the court again ruled for the city on May 29, reaffirming the city's management principles and the legal legitimacy of its administration over the handover and management of public facilities.

"Building on this ruling, we plan to further strengthen the stable operational foundation of Han River ecology parks so that citizens can enjoy a wider range of ecology education and hands-on programs," a Future Han River Bureau official said.


ikson@heraldcorp.com