[Insight & Opinion] Yongsan Park: Contrasting Choices of the Roh and Lee Administrations

Different Value Judgments and Choices Across Two Decades
Pragmatic Use of Land for Housing vs. Historic Preservation
Overreaching for Political Success Through Housing Price Stabilization Is Risky

On August 4, 2006, the late former President Roh Moo-hyun declared during the “Yongsan Base Park Construction Proclamation Ceremony” held at the National Museum of Korea plaza, “Yongsan is a land with a painful history, but now a new future is opening on this land,” further stating, “A monumental park symbolizing Korea will be established here.” Exactly 20 years have passed since then. Today, Yongsan Park is suffering daily under demands from the Democratic Party-led government and younger politicians to provide 20,000 housing units.

Housing policy has always been a top public issue for every government, and chronic housing supply shortages have repeatedly resulted in policy failures and soaring housing prices. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration as well, the shortage of housing and land in Seoul was severe. Former President Roh was not unaware of this. Nevertheless, he moved to preserve the Yongsan Park site by enacting the “Yongsan Park Special Act,” marking a historic turning point.

Twenty years later, Yongsan Park now stands at a new crossroads. It is time to revisit this matter. Back then, was there criticism that President Roh exacerbated Seoul’s housing shortage and missed an opportunity to address the problem by not converting the Yongsan Park site to residential use? Or on the contrary, has the enactment of the Yongsan Park Special Act been viewed as a historical achievement?

The current administration’s decision appears to be aligned with the President’s campaign pledges. In the 2022 presidential election, President Lee Jaemyung pledged to supply a total of 100,000 basic youth housing units in Yongsan Park and the surrounding returned land. Recently, Yoon-duk Kim, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, proposed supplying youth housing not in the entire green area of Yongsan Park but in certain areas where the green function has already been lost. This proposal can also be seen as an extension of the 2022 campaign promise. Suppose the Seoul Metropolitan Government dramatically accepts this plan and moves forward with constructing youth housing on the Yongsan Park site. In another 20 years, how will the public evaluate this decision? Will it be seen as a wise decision marking a turning point in solving Seoul’s housing crisis? Or will it be criticized as a historic mistake driven by the administration’s overreach and desire for policy achievements?

Yongsan Park is historically the site of painful memories, having been occupied by foreign troops for 140 years since the 1882 Imo Incident. At the same time, as a natural green space in the heart of Seoul, it plays the vital role of the city’s lungs. President Roh seemed to have appreciated this deeply. Thus, the Yongsan Park Special Act he spearheaded provided a legal basis for the idea that, regardless of the government in power, Yongsan Park must be well preserved and passed on to future generations as a historical obligation.

As the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have differing views on whether to utilize the housing supply development site, it is reported that on the 20th, Yoon-duk Kim, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, will meet with Seoul Mayor Se-hoon Oh to attempt a consultation. The photo shows the children's garden area within Yongsan Park, Seoul. 2026.8.18 Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang

The core of the Yongsan Park issue that deserves our focus is not which site to select for the construction of 20,000 youth housing units, but rather what judgment and choice the government made regarding its historical value. In other words, it is a matter of “value choice”: whether to emphasize the practical value of developing Yongsan Park for residential use or recognize that our generation has a historical duty to leave it to future generations.

If the current government truly believes that building 20,000 youth housing units will provide a breakthrough solution to Seoul’s housing shortage, there is no reason to reject other options such as the site of the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center proposed by Mayor Se-hoon Oh, or releasing a portion of the green belt, which constitutes 25 percent of Seoul’s land area. Yet, the government’s insistence on constructing 20,000 youth housing units specifically in Yongsan Park likely stems from a special background. This may be the result of President Lee’s determination to solve the housing problem even by utilizing the Yongsan Park site, or perhaps a choice intertwined with an obsession over policy achievements. Whatever the reason, seeking to stabilize housing prices and gain political achievements solely by building 20,000 youth housing units carries a significant risk of overreach.

Former President Roh chose historical and ecological conservation for Yongsan Park, whereas President Lee is opting for practical use of park land. How will the public evaluate these divergent choices made by two “Democratic Party presidents” two decades apart? The assessment 20 years from now will be worth noting.

Kim Dong-won, Former Invited Professor at Korea University

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