Seoul pushes back against land minister, says it already proposed FAR increase

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has directly rebutted Land Minister Hong Ji-seon's claim that the ministry is waiting for Seoul's response on raising the legal floor-area ratio cap for private redevelopment projects to 1.2 times. The city said it has already been consistently proposing the increase and called on the government to move swiftly to amend the relevant law, while also reaffirming its opposition to using the main Yongsan Park site for housing supply.

In an official statement released Friday, the city said the proposal to raise the floor-area ratio for redevelopment projects by 1.2 times "is a matter that Seoul first raised through a working-level consultative body with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to expand housing supply," adding that "rather than waiting for the city's additional response, the government should move quickly to amend the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments."

Earlier Friday, Hong said the ministry was "waiting for Seoul's response" on the floor-area ratio increase and suggested the two sides "set aside matters requiring legislation and first cooperate on issues that can be resolved immediately, such as through the urban renewal law." Hong added that "if Seoul cooperates actively with our requests, we believe it will be possible to announce additional housing sites before the end of the year."

Seoul pushed back sharply, saying it was inappropriate to characterize the city's own proposal as "Seoul's cooperation" or to link it to the government's announcement of additional housing sites. The city said the floor-area ratio increase should be pursued immediately, without being tied to other issues.

The city also made clear its opposition to using the main Yongsan Park site for housing. "The main Yongsan Park site, returning to citizens after 120 years, must be developed entirely as a park in accordance with the spirit of the Special Act on the Creation of Yongsan Park, enacted in 2007," the city said.

Instead, Seoul said it had already proposed practical alternatives to the government — including cooperation on using scattered sites around Yongsan Park and supplying up to 13,000 housing units on land freed up by relocating the Tancheon Water Reclamation Center.

"Since we have already put forward proposals for expanding housing supply — including raising the floor-area ratio for redevelopment projects and utilizing alternative sites — it is now the government's turn to respond," a Seoul city official said. "The government needs to accelerate housing supply through swift legislative amendments and active review of the alternative sites."