After the government announced the 1·29 housing supply plan, backlash has intensified at key supply sites across the Seoul metropolitan area, including Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province, Yongsan in Seoul, and Nowon’s Taereung CC. The government expressed confidence in ‘rapid supply’ through interministerial agreement, but residents met on the ground voiced concerns about traffic congestion and reduced green space. Experts pointed out on the 9th that, given past failures, concrete incentives that residents can accept are needed to ensure swift supply.

Mr. Yoo (48), met in front of the Gwacheon Government Complex on the 5th, shook his head, saying, “After Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town was created, we had been asking to improve roads and transport, but they are only increasing the population without traffic measures, so I am not sure Gwacheon will remain a livable place.”

Mr. Kim (38), who has lived in Gwacheon for 20 years and commutes to Samseong-dong in Seoul, also said, “As they keep releasing the green belt and building apartments, the whole city feels packed,” and added, “The subway infrastructure is the same as 20 years ago with only Line 4, and at this rate I do not know if I can keep raising my child here.”

Gwacheon residents fear that urban infrastructure will not be able to support the rapidly growing population from immediate housing supply. According to the statistical yearbook, as of July 2024, 30,735 households (85,132 people) live in Gwacheon. If you add the newly announced Gwacheon Racetrack and Counterintelligence Command sites (9,800 units) to the previously designated public housing districtsthe Gwacheon District, Galhyeon District, and Juam District (a combined 16,960 units)the number of units newly supplied would amount to 87% of current households.

Even though the population of Gwacheon surged 47.2% over five years, its subway infrastructure remains just Line 4, the same as 20 years ago. An office worker in his 40s, Mr. Park, vented his frustration: “Even five years after the first move-ins at Knowledge Information Town, the traffic nightmare has not improved no matter how much we ask,” adding, “This is a matter of quality of life, not home prices.”

The addition of Gwacheon Information Town Station on Seoul Subway Line 4 was initially pursued with a target opening in 2024, but due to increased construction costs and other factors, the opening has been repeatedly delayed and is currently pushed back to the second half of next year.

With the racetrack relocation issue layered on top, the Korea Racing Authority union has also come out in opposition. The union joined the “Save Gwacheon Pan-Citizen General Rally” held on the 7th to oppose the announcement of the government 1·29 plan.

Residents near Taereung Golf Course (CC) in Nowon District, where 6,800 units are slated for supply, also voiced concerns over traffic congestion, reduced green space, and weakened infrastructure.

Resident A in Gongneung-dong, Nowon District, met on the 4th, said, “It is only 5㎞ from Byeollae Station in Namyangju past Taereung CC to Hwarangdae Sageori, but during commuting hours it can take 40 minutes,” and added, “If nearly 7,000 more units are added, the congestion on the way to work will be hard to bear.” Resident B in the same neighborhood also said, “It is difficult to support unless breakthrough transport measures such as an extension of Line 6 come first.”

By contrast, the atmosphere in Galmae-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, which directly abuts Taereung CC across a single road, is very different. Residents of Galmae New Town support the Taereung CC development, seeing it as an opportunity to expand the isolated new town infrastructure. A nearby public housing district is being created, and by June 2027 a total of 6,320 units will be built; counting the Taereung CC development, the total would exceed 10,000 units, yet unlike in Gwacheon, public opinion is positive.

Even with the population surging, the differing atmospheres in Gwacheon and Galmae-dong are attributed to differences in transport planning and expectations for development.

A licensed real estate agent C near Galmae-dong said, “Taking this Taereung CC development as an opportunity, many residents conditionally support it in the expectation that metropolitan transport measures will be established, such as a GTX)-B stop at Galmae Station.” Agent C said that after the announcement, purchase inquiries increased at brokerages around Galmae-dong and some deals closed at record-high prices.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 5th that it has formed a ‘Transport Improvement Council for Expedited Housing Supply’ to prepare transport improvement measures for each project site under the 1·29 supply plan and will review improvement plans over the next three months.

Experts argue that the government must go beyond simply listening to residents and present and finalize concrete incentives that residents can accept. In particular, as these areas were identified as supply sites during the Moon Jae-in administration but were rolled back due to resident opposition, more careful consideration is needed.

Kim Deok-Rye, head of the Housing Research Department at the Housing Industry Research Institute, said, “Rather than stopping at belatedly putting together transport measures, bold decisions are needed, such as reducing taxes only for residents in development areas where necessary,” and added, “For the 1·29 plan to avoid repeating past policy failures, sophisticated conflict-management measures are essential that go beyond securing ‘supply volume’ and treat residents not as targets of persuasion but as ‘partners’ in housing supply.”