Jongno-gu: "Consent Forms for Changsin 9 and 10 Districts to Be Collected Again Due to Signs of Illegal Conduct"

Promotional materials suspected of violating the law received after advisory meeting
"Need to address the risk of future litigation"

Jongno-gu, Seoul (Mayor Yoo Chanjong), said on November 12 that it had required residents to resubmit consent forms in connection with an application to designate a project implementer for the Changsin 9 and 10 District redevelopment projects because indications of illegal conduct were identified after an expert advisory meeting. The explanation came in response to criticism from some that “the project is being delayed because the district office did not reflect the results of the advisory meeting.”

Promotional flyers and text messages provided by the Preparatory Committee to collect consent. Provided by Jongno-gu.

According to the district, 12 experts in urban planning, law, architecture, appraisal, and cultural heritage attended the first advisory meeting on urban improvement projects, held last September. The district said that opinions such as “handling the matter lawfully in accordance with the principles” and “proceeding swiftly” were based on the assumption that the consent rate shown in the paperwork was at least 75%. The committee members also called for a review of the guidance on collecting consent forms and checks on the appropriateness of estimated contributions and construction costs.

The situation changed after the meeting. The district received text messages and promotional materials suspected of violating Article 132 of the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments. In legal advice obtained by the district, one opinion stated that “it is difficult to conclude that the submitted consent forms sufficiently reflect the voluntary intentions of the owners of land, etc.”

The district determined that it would be difficult to accept either recognizing only consent forms submitted before a certain date or collecting them again from only some residents. It said that unfair inducements, such as promises of preferential benefits, had spread throughout the district through promotional materials and word of mouth, making it difficult to determine whether individual consent forms had been submitted voluntarily. It also noted that recognizing only some forms based on arbitrary criteria could itself lead to disputes over the legality of administrative dispositions. The district also considered that if the project were designated without the necessary measures and then delayed by litigation, residents would bear the resulting interest and project costs.

Changsin 9 District began collecting consent forms again on November 6 and surpassed a 40% consent rate within four days. The district plans to continue discussions with District 10, which is exploring options such as recognizing previously submitted consent forms.

A Jongno-gu official said, “If legal disputes arise later because we try to save a month or two right away, residents will ultimately bear the burden,” adding, “We will provide administrative support without reservation to districts that complete the supplementary procedures and move quickly to the subsequent steps.”

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