Seoul's remaining capacity to lift development restrictions in greenbelts for general development projects has shrunk to a little over 1 square kilometer. That is about half of the 2.3 square kilometers Seoul disclosed in Sep. 2023. As room for general releases has decreased, the government changed the system to allow public housing districts promoted by the state to be excluded from the total releasable amount. As a result, Seoul can further ease greenbelts to supply public housing without deducting from the city's allotted total.
As of the 19th, according to Seoul city and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the city's current total releasable greenbelt capacity is just over 1 square kilometer. A Seoul official said, "Although it is difficult to calculate the exact figure, the total releasable amount left is a little over 1 square kilometer."
The total releasable greenbelt capacity is a system that sets regional limits on releases to curb indiscriminate lifting and urban sprawl while partially accommodating development demand for dwellings and industrial land. In principle, local governments can lift greenbelts only within their allotted totals. The total releasable amount that Seoul disclosed in Sep. 2023 was 2.3 square kilometers. The city's currently estimated remaining capacity is about half of what it was roughly three years ago.
When the total releasable amount shrinks, the scale of new development that can be pursued in Seoul is, in principle, also limited. However, this limit may not apply to public housing districts promoted by the state.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) revised the Metropolitan City Plan Establishment Guidelines in June to allow public housing district projects promoted by the state for the supply of affordable dwellings to be excluded from the total releasable amount after procedures such as deliberation by the Cabinet. The special measure will apply for five years on a temporary basis.
Not all public housing projects are automatically excluded from the total. Authorities will review the public nature and necessity of a project and decide on an exception after procedures such as Cabinet deliberation. However, if an exception is applied, state public housing districts could separately lift greenbelts even if Seoul's general total releasable amount is fully exhausted.
The government also plans to overhaul the damaged-land restoration system, which has been cited as a cause of delays in the greenbelt lifting process. According to the plan to rapidly supply dwellings released on the 13th, greenbelt districts of less than 300,000 square meters that are lifted will be allowed to pay conservation charges first instead of carrying out damaged-land restoration projects. To that end, the government will push to amend the Special Act on Public Housing.
Currently, when lifting greenbelts for development, the principle is to identify nearby damaged land equivalent to 10%–20% of the lifted area and restore it as a park or green space. Because it takes a long time to find restoration sites and consult with land owners and related agencies, the government aims to allow payment of charges instead. For districts of 300,000 square meters or more, damaged-land restoration will be prioritized, but if the relevant city or county cannot find a target site, it will require payment of the charges.
The government's simultaneous easing of the total releasable amount and damaged-land restoration regulations is intended to speed up the supply of public housing in the greater Seoul area. Including greenbelt releases, the government plans to promptly announce candidate sites for new public housing districts totaling 73,000-plus units.
However, some worry that if the core conservation mechanisms of greenbelts are repeatedly made exceptions for the sake of dwelling supply, the system's effectiveness could diminish. In particular, critics say that in areas with high development pressure, such as Seoul, repeated exceptions to the totals could undermine the very purpose of setting release limits.
Seo Jin-hyeong, a professor in the real estate law and administration department at Kwangwoon University, said, "Supply using greenbelts can help stabilize the market to some extent," but added, "Because greenbelts are a natural heritage to pass on to future generations, it is necessary to be cautious about substituting green space restoration with mere payment of charges."
Seoul is cautious about additional greenbelt releases. After the government released its supply measures, the city said, "We are maintaining our existing stance that, in principle, greenbelt releases are difficult to accept." The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and the city will meet on the 20th to discuss additional dwelling supply and plans to use greenbelts.