Gangnam to Redevelop Seoul’s Last Shantytown
I wonder if the local government will send in thugs to chase people out of this shantytown like they have done in the past in other neighborhoods in Seoul to get them redeveloped?:
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and Gangnam District Office have agreed to resume a long-stalled project to develop a shanty town in the most affluent district in Seoul, officials said Friday.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Shin Yeon-hee, head of the district office, will hold a joint press conference next week to announce details of the agreement, an SMG official said.
The SMG and the district office have long been at odds over how to develop Guryong Village, considered the last remaining urban slum in Seoul, and how to compensate the residents.
“The SMG has decided to accept the district office’s demands regarding how to develop the area,” the SMG official said.
The SMG’s change of stance was prompted by a fire in the village on Nov. 10 that left one person dead and destroyed the homes of 136 people. It was the eleventh fire in the village since 2009.
“We understood the urgency for the government to take swift action, since political gridlock means nothing when people die and lose their homes,” the official said. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
Sorry GI. Korea is not like America. In Korea, constant improvements happen. Look how many spray painted slums you have in your cities, while Korea gets rid of them one by one. Half the people in that last slum in Seoul don’t even live there, they just set up there to get compensation. The rest of the real residents of the slum, are moved to government subsidy houses and give huge compensations, certainly more than enough to move into proper housings. Those who put up resistance are the ones who think they didn’t get enough and want far more than they deserve, certainly unreasonable. You think they’ll be chased out without anything? Fat chance. If that’s the case, there should be more slums, as people move somewhere else and set up there. Instead this is the last slum in Seoul – testimonial to Korea’s success in fighting poverty.
I kinda have to agree with Tom.
I have seen a number of people needlessly move into areas that were going to get redeveloped just to get the compensation. Sometimes, they didn’t exactly live there.
It is also pretty amazing that a city of ten million people has only one real slum…
…yet I would feel comfortable to walk its streets at night with money hanging out of my pocket.
I also like what Seoul has done to turn much of the grey concrete into so many green parks, grass, plants, and lots and lots of trees. OK architecturally the buildings are not aesthetic. However the city is now full of lush green, when it used to be just concrete. The skies are also blue, the smogs that prevented you from seeing the blue are gone. The green parks where you can take strolls or go biking are everywhere – it’s getting beautiful. The homes are cozy and comfortable, and even the older homes are remodelled from inside out. Seoul and Korea in general is like the bird that goes from an ugly duckling to a swan.
Uhh Tom….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WHpQVMZbjo
Tom – it’s so painfully obvious that you haven’t stepped foot in Seoul in a long, long time … assuming you have ever been here. Other than Namsan and Olympic Park, there is very little in the way of green, grassy parks with trees. Architecturally, however, Seoul is kicking arse with new, modern and uniquely designed buildings popping up all the time. And biking everywhere? You can bike along the Han River – anywhere else and you are likely to get killed. And yes, industrial smog isn’t half as bad as it used to be, but it’s been replaced with yellow dust. And what’s this nonsense about cozy, comfortable homes? Houses are a thing of the past. It’s all about apartments now.
I agree with Tom. Last month I was in Korea after 15 years absence. And Seoul has changed for the much better compared to 15 years ago. It’s true I’ve noticed there’s definitely far less smog and smell of diesel fuel compared to 15 years ago, as I could actually see the white clouds now. I also noticed that Seoul has lot more trees and green areas than when I was there in 1999, which probably contributes to cutting down the CO2 emissions. If you lived in Seoul all that time, it’s probably harder to notice these subtle everyday changes, but after a long absence, I do see the noticeable improvements of the city. I agree that Seoul is dangerous for bikes, but if you look for them, there are some very nice areas for biking and hiking that weren’t there before away from Seoul’s more urban areas, like at Nanji Park (난지), or the Seongbuk-gu (off Wolgok subway station), as well as the well known Han River area. There’s also the impressive Cheonggyechon river stream in the middle of the city which wasn’t there 15 years ago, and now they’re remodelling Seoul’s concrete highway overpasses and converting them to walking parks for the Seoul citizens to enjoy. For instance, this one used to be over the Seoul City Hall, which I was able to walk over on this day, before it gets changed totally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8LwEMfIyK4
Architecturally, it looks like Seoul is trying hard to change the old habits, as I’ve seen some impressive looking new buildings, the old block style apartments are still there (which they can’t do much about). But I was impressed with that new city in Incheon, that wasn’t there 15 years ago. I mean come on…you can go kayaking in the middle of the city near Seoul? Who would have thought that? If you haven’t seen these changes over the years, then you’ve definitely been living in Seoul for a long time. It’s still a working process and they can do much better to make this city more livable. But I reckon, if I go back in another 15 years, the city would be once again unrecognizable for the better. Credit should be given when it’s deserved.
I was stationed in Korea 4 times, 1960-61, 69-70, 78-79, 81-82. The advancements made from the 1st to the 4th were huge! Here is what the Han River looked like in 1960-61. http://brucerichards.com/army/seoul-shacks-1961.jpg
Now the new suburbs of Seoul are starting to look like this, more emphasis on livability, green living, and less traffic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=objLYi7DmEo
My parents just bought their new place here, and their apartment is high tech connected city.