South Korea will exclude Yongsan Park and Seoul's greenbelt areas from the government's upcoming list of new housing site candidates [1, 2].
This decision limits the available land for residential expansion in one of the world's most densely populated cities. As the government struggles to meet aggressive housing targets, the exclusion of these high-profile areas forces planners to identify alternative sites to curb rising property costs.
Land Minister Kim Yun-deok and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon discussed the plans during a meeting at the Jeongdong Conference House Dalgaebi [2]. During the session, Kim said Yongsan Park was never part of the candidate list to begin with [1].
The government has set a total target of 100,000 new housing units for the metropolitan area [1]. However, a significant portion of this goal remains unfulfilled, with 73,000 units still awaiting site disclosure [1].
Officials said that the additional candidate sites for these remaining units will be revealed between late September and early October [1, 2]. While the greenbelt areas are off the table for this round, government representatives said they will continue consultations regarding Yongsan Park and intend to work together on its future [2].
The meeting between the Land Ministry and the Seoul municipal government signals a coordinated effort to balance urban development with environmental preservation. By protecting the greenbelts, the administration avoids potential ecological backlash but increases the pressure to find viable land elsewhere in the Seoul metropolitan region.
“"Yongsan Park was never part of the candidate list to begin with,"”
The decision to protect Seoul's greenbelts and Yongsan Park suggests the government is prioritizing environmental preservation and urban leisure space over immediate housing volume. With over 70% of the metropolitan housing target still undisclosed, the administration must now locate massive tracts of land in a region where available space is nearly exhausted, likely leading to increased development in the outer suburbs or a reliance on urban redevelopment.
