(LEAD) Land minister says gov't considering part of Yongsan Park as housing site

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk indicated on Wednesday that the government is contemplating using parts of Yongsan Park, already in decline as recreational areas, for limited housing development. Kim downplayed concerns that Seoul's central park would become a massive public housing project as part of efforts to expand housing supply in the capital.

Yongsan Park, situated on land returned from the former U.S. military garrison, covers approximately 3 million square meters, comparable to around 420 football fields. During a parliamentary committee meeting at the National Assembly, Kim clarified that the government is evaluating sites within or surrounding the park that have already been developed or repurposed, including former officers' residences, military housing, and the former site of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

Kim suggested that the government might consider greenbelt areas that have already lost much of their environmental worth while safeguarding green spaces that require protection. He plans to hold discussions about the proposal on Thursday with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who has vocally opposed transforming green areas in central Seoul for housing.

The government's housing plan aims to provide over 230,000 additional homes in the Seoul metropolitan area by expediting development on public land, relaxing some greenbelt constraints, and promoting private-sector projects. Meanwhile, roughly 200 residents convened at a park in Yongsan, as estimated unofficially by police, urging the government to withdraw its plan.

The park should be designated as a comprehensive national park, not a location for apartment buildings, according to a resident group fighting to protect the park during a press conference. The matter also generated political strife during a National Assembly's land, infrastructure, and transport committee meeting, with lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party accusing the government of reversing President Lee Jae Myung's campaign promise.

President Lee Jae Myung had pledged to transform Yongsan Park into a public space for citizens akin to New York's Central Park. Even that campaign pledge appears to be in jeopardy. Ruling party lawmakers argued that the government is contemplating housing development solely in areas deemed unsuitable for park use.