New City Projects Cause Controversy

On October 27, the government officially announced that it will build a new city in Geomdan, Incheon, and expand the development project in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

The initial plan of the government was to build a 5.48 million-pyeong city in Geomdan. But policymakers decided to reduce the size of the development project and build a 3.4 million-pyeong city. In contrast, the size of a new city in Paju will jump by 2.12 million pyeong to 4.97 million pyeong.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook rebuked Choo Byung-jik, Minister of Construction and Transportation, for causing troubles concerning his untimely announcement of the plan for the new city. Politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties and government officials of other ministries joined the prime minister in criticizing Minister Choo for his imprudence.

On the same day, the government held a meeting to discuss economic policies presided over by Kwon Okyu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy. The participating officials announced the plans for construction of additional new cities and expansion of the existing projects.

The city to be built in Geomdan-dong, Incheon is 20km away from both downtown Seoul and Incheon International Airport. Planners reduced the size of the new city by 2.08million pyeong to exclude special military zones as requested by the Ministry of National Defense.

In Paju, development is already underway in the first and second Unjeong districts (2.85million pyeong). The addition of the third district (2.12million pyeong) will boost the entire project to a 4.97million-pyeong one. If the neighboring Gyoha district (620,000 pyeong), also in Paju, is added to the three districts, their combined size will match that of Bundang (5.94million pyeong), also in Gyeonggi Province.

In the new city planned in Paju, a total of 75,000 houses will be constructed, including 28,470 houses in the third Unjeong district and 47,000 in the first and second districts.

While Cheong Wa Dae reviewed Minister Choo’s Geomdan announcement, Prime Minister Han strongly reprimanded the construction minister.

An official at the Prime Minister’s office said, “To my knowledge, on October 26, the prime minister rebuked Minister Choo for making a premature announcement of the construction project without a prior notice to Cheong Wa Dae and the Prime Minister’s office, thereby causing a speculative real estate boom and disruption in the real estate market.”

Uri Party legislators on the Construction and Transportation Committee, in response, refused the proposal of the Ministry of Construction and Transportation for a consultation over the plans of new cities.

The opposition Grand National Party urged for an immediate resignation of Minister Choo, criticizing, “Minister Choo’s unanticipated announcement of the construction of new cities brought about a speculation boom.”

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