South Korea is considering using some areas within or around Yongsan Park for limited housing development, Land Minister Kim Yun-duk said on Wednesday, as the government looks for ways to increase housing supply in the Seoul metropolitan area. Kim stressed that the proposal does not involve converting the park's main green spaces into a large-scale public housing project.

Speaking at a parliamentary committee meeting at the National Assembly, Kim rejected concerns that the government intends to build housing by removing protected green areas. He said officials are instead reviewing locations that have already been developed or used for purposes other than public green space and could potentially accommodate limited housing without undermining the park's overall character.

Yongsan Park is largely situated on land returned to South Korea from the former US military garrison and covers about 3 million square metres, an area roughly equivalent to 420 football fields. The site is considered an important green space in central Seoul, making any proposal involving residential development particularly sensitive.

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Kim identified several previously developed or used sites that could be examined, including former officers' residences, military housing and the former site of the Defence Acquisition Program Administration. He also indicated that certain greenbelt areas could be considered if they have already lost much of their environmental value, while emphasising that green spaces requiring protection would be preserved.

The minister is expected to discuss the proposal with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday. Oh has previously opposed using green areas in central Seoul for housing development, making coordination between the central government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government an important part of any potential plan.

The proposal comes as the South Korean government seeks to expand housing availability in and around the capital. Its broader housing plan aims to supply more than 230,000 additional homes across the Seoul metropolitan area by accelerating development on public land, easing some restrictions on greenbelt development and supporting private-sector housing projects. The government will now have to balance those supply targets with environmental and urban-planning concerns surrounding Yongsan Park.

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