Yongsan-gu in Seoul has come out strongly against the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport minister's announcement that the government would consider the entirety of Yongsan Park — beyond the existing Yongsan Children's Garden — as a candidate site for housing supply.
The district released a statement Saturday expressing "deep regret" over the minister's remarks and vowing to "respond resolutely to any development push that undermines the original value and identity of Yongsan Park."
"Yongsan Park is the last large-scale national park in central Seoul, returning to the people after 120 years," the district said. "A national symbolic space that embodies the history and future of the Republic of Korea must not be viewed through the lens of 'is there land here that can be used for housing supply?'"
The district said it sympathizes with the need to expand housing supply, but said reconstruction and redevelopment of existing urban areas — and new housing through improvement projects — should take priority over developing Yongsan Park.
"We must first find housing supply solutions that preserve both the city's function and its public character," the district said. "Housing can be supplied elsewhere, but a large-scale urban national park — a national symbolic space to be passed on to future generations — cannot be recreated once it is lost."
The district doubled down, saying Yongsan Park is "a national asset that cannot be restored once damaged" and that it "strongly opposes the government's plan to consider the entire Yongsan Park as a candidate site for housing supply."
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