On the 9th, the Gangbuk District of Seoul announced that it has received 70 complaints in the past month opposing the construction of public dormitories. The public dormitory facing opposition is planned to be built on a vacant lot between the Raemian Mia 1st Apartment and the North Seoul Xi Polaris Apartment in Mia-dong, Gangbuk-gu. It is a facility where students attending various universities can reside.
Currently, as the North Seoul Xi is pushing for the construction of the dormitory, the Raemian Mia side is opposing it. There are also residents among the North Seoul Xi who oppose the construction of the dormitory. Reports suggest that behind this conflict are issues related to 'money' and 'concerns about housing prices.' ChosunBiz has investigated the circumstances.
◇Redevelopment council paid 8 billion won for land, seeks to recover expenses through public dormitory construction
Residents moved into the Raemian Mia 1st Apartment in November 2006. Since then, the surrounding area has been undergoing redevelopment, and the North Seoul Xi Polaris Apartment was completed in August last year. The two apartment complexes are adjacent to each other, separated by a two-lane road.
The public dormitory is planned to be built on a 1,018 square meters (about 308 pyeong) vacant lot between the two apartments. This land is currently owned by the North Seoul Xi Polaris Apartment Redevelopment Council. Originally, a church that was there before redevelopment was supposed to return, but instead, the church liquidated the land for cash without constructing a building. The redevelopment council paid 8 billion won to the church.
Subsequently, the redevelopment council is promoting the construction of a public dormitory on this land to recover the expenses paid to the church. There are plans to sell the public dormitory to the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH) for about 15 billion won. They are currently in the stage of finalizing the design of the public dormitory and seeking a contractor.
Chairman Choi Myung-woo of the redevelopment council noted, 'The construction company GS Engineering and Construction is demanding an increase in construction costs, and the members have already taken on an additional burden of 10 million won.' He added, 'If we cannot develop and sell the church site, the members will have to bear an additional average burden of 15 million won each,' and he further indicated, 'We spent 8 billion won on land, and the estimated construction cost is between 7 billion and 8 billion won, leaving no amount for the council.'
◇Residents across the street express concerns about noise and moral issues, pointing to 'money problems' and 'housing price worries'
Residents of the Raemian Mia 1st Apartment are strongly opposing the construction of the public dormitory. In the past month, 70 online complaints opposing the establishment of the public dormitory have been raised to the Gangbuk District. The complaints state that 'public dormitories are seen as hazardous facilities by residents due to various social issues, including noise and trash' and that 'there are many harmful aspects for children.' Some residents are also requesting the construction of libraries or sports facilities instead of a public dormitory.
Han Mira, chairperson of the tenants' representative committee, said, 'Most residents of this apartment are elderly, and there are differences in perspectives between the youth and the elderly regarding drinking.' A resident, Gil Mo, 61, mentioned, 'There could be loud noise and moral issues at night when young people are out.' Another resident, Han Mo, 67, expressed concern, saying, 'Does it make sense to build a public dormitory in the middle of the apartment complex? I'm afraid the peaceful complex will become noisy.'
In response, Chairman Choi, who is promoting the construction of the public dormitory, stated, 'Young people and women should not be branded as criminals,' adding, 'It’s essential for the neighborhood and Gangbuk District to attract more young people.'
However, it is reported that opinions among residents of the North Seoul Xi Polaris are divided regarding the construction of the public dormitory. This apartment consists of 1,045 units, including 561 owner-occupied units, 157 rental units, and 327 general sales units. If the redevelopment council is unable to construct and sell the dormitory, the residents who received allotments will have to pay additional contributions. In contrast, the residents who purchased general sales units for between 400 million won and 1.3 billion won are not required to pay extra contributions. At a meeting held at the Gangbuk District Office on the 5th, a resident from a general sales unit spoke out, saying, 'If a public dormitory is built, it would be a scam.' A Gangbuk District official noted, 'It’s crucial to gather the opinions of both the North Seoul Xi redevelopment council and the general buyers.'
Park Moon-young, who operates a real estate brokerage in the area, stated, 'Examining the conflicts related to the promotion of the public dormitory reveals a clash between the stance of 'not wanting to pay additional contributions' and the perspective that 'the housing prices will fall if young housing is introduced.' In the end, it appears to be related to 'money issues' and 'concerns about housing prices.'