First field visit targets Baeksa Village redevelopment site... "I will find answers on the ground"
First official approval: formation of a rapid reconstruction and redevelopment task force to drive urban renewal
Inauguration ceremony with residents set for Friday at Nowon Citizens' Hall
Nowon-gu in Seoul has launched its first policy initiatives and field activities under the ninth directly elected administration, as the district sets out to realize its vision of becoming a "future economic city."
District Mayor Seo Jun-o made a visit to the Baeksa Village redevelopment site his first official engagement after taking office, inspecting the project's progress and meeting with residents. Earlier that day, at his office, he signed his first official approval — an order to form a rapid reconstruction and redevelopment task force — ahead of the formal launch of a full rapid reconstruction and redevelopment unit planned for September, marking the first step in the ninth administration's urban renewal drive.
Baeksa Village, which Seo visited that day, was once known as "Seoul's last hillside slum" and long symbolized the district's deteriorating residential conditions. It is now being transformed into a new residential complex through a redevelopment project. Seo met with project officials and residents, received briefings on the current status of the work, and listened to their concerns and suggestions.
"Reconstruction and redevelopment are projects where the pace of administration directly translates into change in residents' lives," Seo said. "I will find answers on the ground, boldly cut unnecessary procedures, and focus all of the district's administrative capacity on pushing these projects forward so residents can feel the difference."
The first approval — establishing the rapid reconstruction and redevelopment task force — reflects the reality that Nowon has the highest proportion of aging apartment complexes among Seoul's autonomous districts, with numerous redevelopment projects under way simultaneously.
The task force will serve as a dedicated body to closely monitor progress and challenges at each project site, overseeing permit and licensing support, coordination with relevant agencies, and regulatory improvements. The district plans to activate the task force immediately, then expand and reorganize it into a full rapid reconstruction and redevelopment unit in September, building a more specialized and systematic support structure.
Nowon-gu is one of Seoul's most active urban renewal zones, with 45 reconstruction projects and five redevelopment projects currently under way. Before the formal unit launches, the district intends to use the task force to closely analyze issues at each site, actively support permitting procedures and inter-agency coordination, and continuously identify regulatory improvements to recommend to the Seoul Metropolitan Government — all with the aim of accelerating project timelines.
Seo spent four years on the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Housing and Space Committee, where he was consistently involved in reconstruction and redevelopment policy and regulatory reform. He is credited in particular with incorporating field-level input into improvements to the project viability adjustment coefficient system, which supports redevelopment in areas with weak financial feasibility. That experience is expected to play a significant role in speeding up Nowon's urban renewal projects.
Alongside reconstruction and redevelopment, the ninth administration will concentrate its efforts on large-scale development projects that lay the groundwork for future growth — including the Seoul Digital Bio City and the Gwangwoon University Station transit-oriented development project. The vision is to move Nowon beyond its reputation as a bedroom community and build it into a future economic city where businesses and jobs grow alongside residents.
This policy direction was shaped through the "Nowon 3.0 Future Nowon Preparatory Committee," which operated ahead of the ninth administration's launch. The committee began reviewing campaign pledges and receiving departmental briefings on June 16, holding focused discussions on implementation plans for key policies including reconstruction and redevelopment, corporate attraction, and transportation infrastructure expansion.
Seo plans to visit other major project sites in turn — including the Gwangwoon University Station transit-oriented development — to personally inspect progress, while conducting departmental briefings in parallel to further accelerate the ninth administration's core policy agenda.
"Making the formation of the rapid reconstruction and redevelopment unit my first official act reflects my conviction that Nowon's urban renewal can no longer be delayed," Seo said. "Drawing on the experience and policy expertise I built at the Seoul Metropolitan Council, I will resolve the issues holding projects back one by one, and push reconstruction and redevelopment forward so that residents can feel real change."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
