Gwanak-gu holds first meeting to accelerate redevelopment projects

Gwanak-gu in Seoul held its first "Housing Improvement Project Progress Acceleration Meeting" on Thursday to shorten the timeline for redevelopment and reconstruction projects, the district announced Monday.

District Mayor Park Jun-hee personally reviewed key issues for four housing redevelopment zones — Sillim Zone 7, Bongcheon Zone 13, Bongcheon Zone 14 and Bongcheon Zone 4-1-3 — and discussed ways to speed up progress with representatives from each zone's association, sharing concerns and sticking points that arose during the process.

The meeting was attended by association heads, conflict management officers, maintenance contractors and construction companies, who reviewed the status of each zone and its outstanding issues. Participants also exchanged views on removing factors causing delays and keeping projects moving smoothly.

For Sillim Zone 7, which needs improved project viability due to a low floor-area ratio, the district proposed revising the improvement plan by incorporating the "2030 Seoul Metropolitan Government Residential Environment Improvement Master Plan" and applying relaxed standards for project viability adjustment coefficients and public contribution ratios — an approach that won the support of the zone's association.

For Bongcheon Zone 13, the district discussed consolidating below-ground parking construction to improve project viability. For Bongcheon Zone 14, it agreed to actively review whether the floor-area ratio could be raised through tenant loss-compensation incentives, as well as a request for partial demolition to accelerate the project.

Going forward, the district plans to hold the mayor-led progress acceleration meeting quarterly for each type of improvement project. Zones requiring closer attention will be managed monthly through a dedicated "intensive progress acceleration meeting" involving association representatives and relevant department staff.

In July, the district established a "Housing Improvement Project Rapid Support Team" directly under the district mayor to oversee project applications, progress management, conflict resolution and advisory services. The team also visits project sites stalled by resident disputes or legal conflicts to seek solutions and support faster progress.

To further strengthen the support framework, the district plans to reorganize its housing division in January 2027, splitting the existing housing section into a "Rapid Residential Improvement Section" and a "Housing Management Section." The former will handle all improvement project work, while the latter will focus on housing management, raising expertise and accountability in each area.

"Improvement projects are a critical task directly tied to residents' housing stability and quality of life," District Mayor Park said. "I will do my best to personally review the progress of improvement projects and, together with the rapid support team, remove the causes of delay so that residents can feel the difference."

Gwanak-gu established the rapid support team on July 31 to pursue housing improvement projects — including redevelopment and reconstruction — more swiftly and systematically. The team handles applications and reviews, conflict mediation, and the operation of redevelopment and reconstruction advisory panels, providing close support from the planning stage through to ground-breaking. It will operate as a task force through the end of December before converting to a permanent body on Jan. 1, 2027.