Calls are growing to give Seoul's district offices broader permitting powers to speed up housing supply, as the city designates more redevelopment zones only to see follow-up approvals drag on. The argument is that district offices, which are closest to redevelopment sites, should be able to approve changes to project plans quickly. With the issue raised at the National Assembly's annual audit of government agencies, attention is turning to whether talks on transferring redevelopment authority from the city to its districts will gain momentum.
Rep. Yoon Jong-gun of the Democratic Party of Korea said at an audit session of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on the 12th that "part of the permitting authority over redevelopment projects needs to be transferred to Seoul's district offices in order to respond effectively to the push to expand housing supply," according to political sources on the 13th.
"Seoul designated a total of 64 redevelopment zones covering 117,000 homes last year alone, but speeding things up requires that the designation stage connect well with the steps that follow," Yoon said. "Even if a district office identifies problems on the ground and works out solutions, it will struggle to respond aggressively if its scope to approve necessary changes to redevelopment plans remains limited."
He added that a 2016 revision to the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments transferred powers held by provincial governors — including the authority to draw up redevelopment plans and to lift zone designations — to mayors, county chiefs and other heads of basic local governments. "We can draw fully on that precedent for adjusting authority between metropolitan and basic local governments according to local conditions and the nature of the work," he said.
Seoul's district offices estimate that taking over the city's authority over small-scale redevelopment projects would cut the time to groundbreaking by up to three years. Lee Seung-ro, head of Seongbuk District, said at a forum held by the Democratic Party's Seoul chapter housing supply policy committee on the 14th of last month that "the process from applying for zone designation to public notice can easily be shortened by up to a year." He added, "Many minor changes come up between public notice and groundbreaking, and if district offices could decide them without referring them to the city, that alone would shorten the timeline by at least two to three years."
Officials involved in redevelopment projects say timelines keep stretching because even minor revisions to project plans must clear city-level review after a zone is designated. Interagency consultation and coordination take considerable time ahead of the city's integrated review, they say, and disagreements over facilities to be donated to the city can add further delays. One idea gaining traction is to have the city review the initial project implementation plan while leaving subsequent minor changes to the district offices.
Yoon urged the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees the matter, to "define the scope of the authority to be transferred, set up the related procedures and make sure the districts are ready to exercise those powers." He added, "The government should listen closely to local governments and move quickly to come up with an approach that works smoothly on the ground."
Jeong Woo-jin, head of the ministry's housing supply task force, said: "From what we have gathered, many of Seoul's district offices want redevelopment authority transferred to them. We will consult closely with local governments and draw up measures to improve the system."