Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae visited Yongsan Children's Garden on Tuesday to listen to local residents and visitors and inspect the site firsthand.
The visit came amid growing community concern over the government's review of potential housing supply at Yongsan Park. Kim sought to assess the park's preservation value in person and gather a range of resident opinions.
Kim first met with residents at Hanmaeum Children's Park, just outside Yongsan Children's Garden. Residents said the garden was a space they visited regularly. "It's a precious urban park where people can walk and rest," one resident said. "We hope it will be preserved without fail."
Kim then moved through the main areas of Yongsan Children's Garden, speaking with visitors along the way. "Yongsan Park is Seoul's last large-scale green space in the city center, returned to the public after 120 years," he said. "It is not a place to be consumed for immediate housing demand — it is a national asset that must be passed on intact to the residents of Yongsan-gu, the Korean people, and future generations."
He added that once Yongsan Park is damaged, it cannot be restored. "If housing supply is needed, we must first look for ways to revitalize reconstruction and redevelopment of existing urban areas and pursue improvement projects that can preserve both the city's function and its public character," he said.
Kim said he would continue to prioritize gathering resident input while taking a firm stance against any development that undermines the original value and identity of Yongsan Park.
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