Lee Visits Housing Supply Site, Calls for Rules Allowing Mid-Project "Switch to Public Redevelopment"

President Lee Tours Jangwi-dong Site; Holds Meeting
"Guarantee Residents' Right to Choose... Open the Way for a Switch"
"Corruption Is Rampant in Redevelopment"... Calls for Public-Sector Focus
"Housing Supply Effects to Emerge in 2028 or 2029 at the Earliest"
Orders Stronger Incentives, Including Floor-Area-Ratio Benefits and Financial Support
Calls for Strict Law Enforcement at SaRang Jeil Church Led by Jeon Kwanghoon

On Nov. 4, President Lee Jae-myung called for a review of institutional reforms that would allow redevelopment projects underway under private-sector arrangements to switch to public redevelopment if residents wanted. The proposal is to recognize the procedures already completed and have public institutions such as Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) take over the remaining steps. He also stressed the need to shift toward public redevelopment to address lengthy delays caused by corruption and a lack of expertise among private-sector associations.

President Lee Jae-myung speaks at an on-site meeting on redevelopment projects in the Seoul metropolitan area at the Jangwi 3-dong Community Service Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 4, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

President Lee outlined the proposal after touring the public redevelopment site in Jangwi District 9, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and attending an on-site meeting on redevelopment projects at the Jangwi 3-dong Community Service Center that day.

Mid-project shift from private to public redevelopment; succession of existing procedures under review. The discussion began during a conversation with Kim Jongsam, head of the redevelopment association in Jangwi District 14, where a private redevelopment project is underway. When Kim said the project was already far advanced and would require residents to give their consent again to switch to public redevelopment, President Lee asked, "If residents have already given their consent and the project is underway, can't we recognize that and have the public sector handle only the remaining procedures?"

He added, "If regulations prevent that, that's a problem too," saying that if association members decided to switch to public redevelopment, the existing project procedures should be recognized so the project could continue without disadvantage.

He made clear that he was not calling for a switch at any particular site, saying, "I'm not saying that this should be done here in Jangwi." He added, "Let's make that option available," stressing that residents should be guaranteed the choice to switch to public redevelopment.

In response, LH President Lee Seonghun said that if a provision were introduced recognizing procedures already completed by the private sector, a switch could be made without delaying the project. President Lee said there was no reason to block a switch and that the possibility of institutional reforms should be reviewed.

"Corruption is rampant in redevelopment projects"... Calls for a shift toward the public sector

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a meeting on redevelopment projects in the Seoul metropolitan area at the Jangwi 3-dong Community Service Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 4, 2026. Yonhap News.

President Lee also strongly criticized structural problems in private redevelopment. He said corruption was "in fact rampant" in redevelopment and reconstruction projects, pointing to cases in which people treated running an association as a lifelong career or were involved in multiple associations at the same time.

"As much as possible, we need to shift the focus to the public sector," he said, explaining that incentives for public redevelopment were intended to make projects faster and more transparent. He stressed, however, that the aim was not to disadvantage private-sector projects, saying, "We need to maintain an appropriate balance."

He also recounted his experience as mayor of Seongnam. "They would fight all day, and association heads would keep getting arrested. Once they were arrested, projects would be delayed for a long time," he said, describing cases in which internal conflicts within associations and disputes over construction costs delayed projects. His remarks reflected his view that there is a fundamental problem with leaving complex, large-scale redevelopment projects in the hands of association members who lack professional expertise.

He urged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and LH to make it easier for private redevelopment projects to switch to public redevelopment, revise relevant laws if necessary, and actively promote the advantages of public redevelopment.

President Lee also raised concerns about prolonged delays in redevelopment projects. After being told that the private redevelopment project in Jangwi District 14 had been underway for 18 years, he asked, "Private redevelopment projects run by associations keep getting delayed because of fighting. You mean it's been going on for 18 years?"

At the meeting, he stressed the need to speed up redevelopment projects, saying, "Ten years is the norm, and some take 20 or even 30 years." He called for the swift passage of bills related to redevelopment projects pending in the National Assembly and asked Presidential Chief of Staff Im Gwanghyeon to encourage legislation as well.

"A supply cliff is becoming reality"... Stabilizing housing prices is a key priority

President Lee Jaemyung inspects the public redevelopment site in Jangwi District 9, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 4, 2026. Yonhap News

President Lee also made clear that stabilizing housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area is a key priority for the government. He said the number of housing construction permits had plunged since 2022, leading to a supply cliff. He explained that, according to people in the field, the recent recovery in permits would not translate into actual housing supply until "2028 or 2029 at the earliest."

"Stabilizing housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area is a crucial priority, more important than any other policy task," he said. He also called for expanding the supply of new housing sites, shortening administrative procedures for redevelopment projects, and strengthening incentives such as floor-area-ratio benefits and financial support.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, redevelopment projects are currently underway in 773 districts across the Seoul metropolitan area, but only 128 districts (16.6%) have reached the construction-start stage. The government plans to support the start of construction on 234,000 homes in the Seoul metropolitan area over the next five years.

Toward the end of the meeting, President Lee referred to a housing policy control tower under the Prime Minister's Office and checked on efforts to bolster staffing at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and LH. He then called on relevant institutions to work together to ensure that housing supply, including through redevelopment projects, proceeds swiftly.

On the SaRang Jeil Church issue: "There is no such thing as a world where you can just hold out after breaking the law"

President Lee Jaemyung tours the Jangwi District 9 public redevelopment site in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on the 4th. 2026.11.4 Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, during an earlier site visit, President Lee heard an explanation about SaRang Jeil Church, located at the corner of Jangwi District 10, and stressed the principle of enforcing the law. "The enforcement was changed and the church was excluded because you couldn't carry out the forced eviction, right? That makes no sense. There is no such thing as being able to break the law and just hold out," he said. He then told Seongbuk District Mayor Lee Seungro, "From now on, make sure the law is enforced thoroughly. In a country governed by the rule of law, how can anyone just hold out by force?" Jangwi District 10 was designated a redevelopment district in 2008 and received approval for its management and disposal plan in 2017, but the redevelopment project was delayed by a compensation dispute with SaRang Jeil Church, led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon.

He also pointed to the problem of some areas being excluded during redevelopment. When told that some areas had been left out because businesses along the main road in Jangwi District 4 objected, he said, "They were opposed from the start, but if you leave that area out, the shape of the city becomes strange." After hearing that existing apartment buildings had led to an area being excluded from redevelopment in Jangwi District 3, he said, "This is where the administration needs to play a role. Otherwise, the overall layout will look strange later," stressing the need for proactive administrative involvement.

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