[Report] "Apartments Without School or Traffic Plans?" Residents Take to the Streets Over Yongsan Park Housing Supply

First Rally Against Housing Supply at Yongsan Park
Around 300 Local Residents Gather Near the Park
"Building Housing Without Education or Transport Infrastructure
Makes Us Betray Future Generations," Criticize Residents

"We have been asking for a school to be built for the past ten years, but nothing has changed. In this situation, even if housing is built for young people and newlyweds, there will be no school for children to attend, so it is obvious that we will eventually have to move out again."

On the afternoon of the 19th, in Hanmaeum Park in front of the main gate of Yongsan Children's Garden in Yongsan District, Seoul, about 300 citizens held a "Children’s Garden Defense Rally," voicing their opposition to the supply of housing on the Yongsan Park site. While there have been voices against turning Yongsan Children's Garden into a housing site before, this was the first time a rally had been held in the neighborhood.

On the 19th at 6:30 PM, about 300 citizens holding pickets voiced their opposition to housing supply on the site of Yongsan Park in Hanmaeum Park in front of the main gate of Yongsan Children’s Garden in Yongsan District, Seoul. Photo by Seongah Shim

Local residents who have lived around Yongsan Park, from Ichon Station to apartment complexes near Sookmyung Women's Univ. Station, came together for the event. The residents participating in the rally expressed concerns about a policy that eliminates parks serving as a local retreat and supplies only housing without basic infrastructure like schools. A resident in her 70s surnamed Lee said, "Even now, there is a shortage of middle and high schools, so when young couples’ children grow up, they end up relocating outside Yongsan." She added, "The average age in the entire district keeps rising."

Another resident in her 50s, surnamed Lim, pointed out, "Yongsan residents have to drive far just to send their children to middle school," and argued, "Building only housing in a place where both childbirth and education are impossible is a completely impractical policy." Some made strong statements, saying, "If housing is built before establishing basic infrastructure such as education or transportation, we will be betraying future generations."

In one corner of the park where the rally was held, a dozen or so children could be seen playing in the playground, while young couples, firmly gripping their children’s hands, were also present.

Lee, who came with her 10-year-old child and is in her 40s, said, "There is already a shortage of space nearby for children to play freely, and now they want to build a huge apartment complex on the park. I couldn't just stand by, so I brought my child out to join the protest."

Older residents who have witnessed Yongsan’s changes for decades also raised their voices in opposition. Lee Suworl, 69, who has lived in Yongsan for 50 years, stressed, "There are plenty of ways to rapidly supply housing by easing redevelopment and reconstruction regulations. At a time when we should be increasing urban parks, it makes no sense to eliminate existing parkland to build apartments."

Longtime resident Lee Heesuk, 59, pointed out the severe traffic congestion. She said, "Even now, every weekend, the road in front of the National Museum of Korea is paralyzed," and expressed concern that "if large apartment complexes are added in an area already suffering from traffic chaos, the traffic situation will be unbearable."

At around 6:30 p.m. on the 19th, citizens are signing a petition against housing supply within the Yongsan Park site in Hanmaeum Park in front of the main gate of Yongsan Children's Garden in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seongah Sim

Consultations between the government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are also ongoing to secure residential land in areas such as Yongsan Park. Kim Yoonduk, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Oh Sehoon, Mayor of Seoul, will meet on the morning of August 20 near Seoul City Hall to continue discussions on housing supply. With the government and the ruling party even considering an amendment to the Special Act on Yongsan Park to allow for development of the site, the conflict line between the government and the city appears to be sharpening. According to officials inside and outside the Seoul city government, if Minister Kim proposes utilizing the Yongsan Park site for housing supply during the meeting, Mayor Oh is expected to present practical alternatives, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs parking lot in Itaewon or the Bank of Korea’s Huam Residence site in Huam-dong.

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