Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (left) listens to President Lee Jae Myung speak at the first Eulji Cabinet Meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (left) listens to President Lee Jae Myung speak at the first Eulji Cabinet Meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday that he told the president directly he opposes building apartments in Yongsan Park.

Oh made the remarks in a Facebook post titled "I will speak my mind to protect Seoul's future," published after he attended a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung.

"First, I asked the government to lift the regulations blocking redevelopment and reconstruction so we can accelerate the pace," Oh said. "It is fortunate that some of Seoul's requests regarding urban renewal projects were reflected in the government's Aug. 13 measures, but there is still a long way to go. Regulations that must be lifted — including restrictions on transferring association member status, floor-area ratios and the ratio of rental housing — remain in place."

He said that if housing supply is truly an urgent priority, the government should pursue the most realistic solutions first. "There is a clear answer in redevelopment and reconstruction, yet the government is rushing to announce supply figures by searching for land in the wrong places," he said.

Oh said Yongsan Park is the last large green space remaining in the heart of Seoul. "Just as major cities around the world — New York with Central Park, London with Hyde Park, Paris with the Luxembourg Gardens — have preserved green spaces in their city centers as symbols of urban identity and assets for future generations, Yongsan Park is a precious space that must be protected for Seoul's future," he said. He added that this is why even past presidents from the Democratic Party had maintained the principle that Yongsan Park must not be carelessly damaged.

"The quality of life for citizens matters as much as the number of housing units," Oh said. "Consuming what future generations should enjoy, simply because additional housing supply is needed right now, ultimately sacrifices their future." He said he again made clear that the government must not push ahead with any plan to damage Yongsan Park without sufficient public debate and broad social consensus.

"Even aggressive action has its principles," Oh said, using the Korean slang term "dakgong" for a full-throttle offensive approach. "Housing can be built elsewhere, but urban green space, once gone, is nearly impossible to restore. I will fulfill my responsibility to the end to protect what belongs to future generations." He also said he asked the government to reconsider its overall real estate policy direction, including property taxes and regulations on owner-occupancy requirements. "Policy must start from respecting people's lives as they actually are," he said. "The arrogance of trying to force people's lives to conform to policy must be set aside first."


cook@heraldcorp.com