Oh Sehoon Defends Yongsan Park... Presidential Office: "The Proposal Is to Use Leftover Land for Youth Housing"

"Not a Development of the Entire 910,000-Pyeong Area"
Continued Cooperation with the Seoul City Government
"Excavating Contaminated Soil for Housing Enables Swift Removal"
On Reduction of US-ROK Military Exercises: "Should Not Hinder or Delay the Transfer of Operational Control"

On August 19, Presidential Senior Secretary for Public Communication Seong Gihong addressed the plan to utilize part of the Yongsan Park site for youth housing, stating, "Excavating and relocating the contaminated soil to build housing is more cost-effective." He reiterated that the proposal involves using certain sites that are difficult to serve as parkland due to soil contamination and other factors, rather than the entirety of Yongsan Park.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the 1st Eulji Cabinet Meeting held at the Blue House on August 18, 2026. Photo by Blue House Press Photographers Group, Yonhap News Agency

Appearing on Channel A's 'News Top Ten' program that day, Senior Secretary Seong said, "The intention is not to raze the entire Yongsan Park to build apartments or housing," adding, "We are looking to identify specific areas within the park, considering their location and characteristics, that would be better utilized as housing sites rather than for park purposes."

He specifically linked the soil contamination issue of the current Yongsan Children's Garden site directly to the logic of housing supply. "Because this site was formerly used as a U.S. military base and later returned, it has faced soil contamination resulting from that period," Seong said. "It is fair to characterize it as severely damaged land that requires soil remediation."

He continued, "I believe that creating housing by completely excavating and developing the land is not only much easier than creating a park for citizens, but also a more efficient way to quickly remove contaminants." Addressing concerns that contamination removal costs could be enormous, Seong explained, "The cost of excavating contaminated soil for park creation would actually be even higher."

Seong also drew a clear boundary against the interpretation that the government’s review amounted to a 'Yongsan Park development' initiative. "We are by no means planning to raze the entire 910,000-pyeong (approximately 3 million square meters) park in central Yongsan and turn it into a forest of apartment blocks," he said. "Rather, the proposal is to utilize some of the damaged and leftover plots of land to create housing opportunities for future generations—the youth—and to reach a social consensus on this initiative."

When asked about the government's response should the Seoul Metropolitan Government oppose the plan until the end, Seong made it clear that dialogue would continue. He mentioned that Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-deok and Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon will meet on August 20 for further discussions. He said, "Housing supply is extremely difficult if left solely to the decisions or policy choices of the central government; active cooperation from local governments is essential," adding, "We continue to expect active collaboration from the Seoul city government in the supply of quality youth housing, and we will maintain ongoing discussions."

Regarding the government’s recent stance on housing supply, Seong stated, "We are committed to providing the highest possible volume of housing as quickly as possible," noting, "Phrases like 'just get on with supply' and 'rapid supply' have been used recently, and President Lee Jae-myung has also employed the term 'all-out effort for comprehensive housing supply.'" He continued, "In that context, I believe that the Yongsan Children's Garden site—which is part of Yongsan Park but faces significant challenges for park use—should be considered among the sites available for housing supply."

Additionally, Senior Secretary Seong commented on issues regarding the reduction of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and the transfer of wartime operational control. He noted that the government first became aware of U.S. President Donald Trump's social media post on the downsizing of joint military exercises through the post itself. "According to U.S. media, many American officials also learned of President Trump’s intentions only after seeing the post," he said. When asked whether such steps were taken impulsively without the knowledge of officials, he responded, "That seems characteristic of President Trump's style."

On the possibility that reducing joint exercises could impact the transfer of wartime operational control, Seong stated, "The government’s position is that reducing the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises should in no way become an obstacle or a delaying factor for the policy direction and schedule regarding the transfer of operational control," stressing, "We believe the recent issue will not affect the restoration of OPCON (operational control)."

On the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit, he said, "Both South Korea and the U.S. have consistently maintained an open stance toward dialogue with North Korea," adding, "We hope an amicable relationship between the North Korean and U.S. leaders will lead to improved North Korea-U.S. relations." He went on, "Our government will continue to fulfill its role in close communication with the United States throughout future policy developments on North Korea and during dialogue processes with relevant parties."

Regarding Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho, who submitted his resignation the previous day, Seong said, "I have asked him to faithfully fulfill his duties until a successor is appointed." Regarding when the resignation would be accepted, he said, "It is not known yet, and a decision will be made at an appropriate time." When asked about Democratic Party lawmakers Park Kyuntaek and Lee Geontae being mentioned as possible successors, Seong dismissed the speculation as "just rumors circulating in Yeouido," emphasizing, "It is not appropriate to discuss potential successors while Minister Jeong is still serving."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.