[이슈] ‘Development of the Yangjae site’ drowned in the swamp…Harim vs. Seoul, the extreme confrontation of’Gangdaegang’

[이코노믹리뷰=전지현 기자] The conflict between Harim Group and Seoul over the’Yangjae-dong Old Cargo Terminal Urban High-tech Logistics Complex Site Development’ is increasing. This is because the urban planning standards according to the site are different from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and the city of Seoul. Harim Group demands the establishment of a new standard rather than the’double and triple regulation’, and the city of Seoul adheres to the position that it must comply with the existing urban planning standards, and the atmosphere is moving toward the extreme confrontation of’Gangdaegang’.

On the 3rd, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held an online emergency press conference at 3:30 pm and criticized that Harim is pressured by lawsuits and distorted facts against public officials for being selected as a demonstration complex of an urban high-tech logistics complex in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s comprehensive logistics facility development plan. did.

“Even though the city planning standards for the site are clear, the business operator (Harim) is demanding the development of high-rises and high-density that is in line with the city plan of Seoul.” And the controversy over preferential over-development is concerned,” he stressed. He said, “Harim is pressured to deliberately delay the legitimate public administration of Seoul, such as putting pressure on civil and criminal litigation against the official in charge.”

When the facts were reported, Harim Holdings also strongly opposed the Seoul city. Harim argued that it was against the involvement of the City Planning Bureau (Facility Planning Division), which could not be understood through the statement. Harim said, “The city of Seoul forced Harim Industries, a private business operator, to withdraw the application from May 2016, which was submitted by the Mayor of Seoul (Taxi Logistics Division, Urban Transportation Department, Department of Land, Infrastructure and Transport). Even after being reflected in, it has continued to demand that it be created as an R&D complex against the national plan.”

Next, “The Seoul Urban Planning Bureau specified the’Yangjae Site’ in November 2017, and made a policy for the deputy mayor to prevent the construction of an urban high-tech logistics complex and disclosed it to the Seoul Communication Plaza. This is the’Yangjae City High-tech Logistics Complex Project’ It stipulated the action plan stating that the site does not apply the urban high-tech logistics complex (Act on the Development and Operation of Logistics Facilities), and ignores all relevant laws, national plans, and government guidelines.”

Suspended urban high-tech logistics complex construction project, background…

Yangjae-dong Urban High-tech Logistics Complex is Harim Group’s long-awaited and large-scale development project, which began in 2015. The National Assembly and the government introduced the urban high-tech logistics complex system in the prospect that demand for urban logistics will increase in 2015 and the need for convergence between industries such as distribution, logistics, and information and communication industries based on logistics services will emerge. At the same time, it took preemptive measures such as revising the’Act on the Development and Operation of Logistics Facilities’ (Abbreviated Logistics Facility Act).

Accordingly, Harim Group has been promoting the construction of a high-tech urban logistics complex through Harim Industry in May 2016 in a 9,4949.1㎡ site (hereinafter referred to as’Yangjae site’) in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Harim plans to build a distribution center, business facilities, R&D facilities, conventions, performance halls, sales facilities, accommodation facilities, and residential facilities.

Yangjae site was selected as a demonstration complex of urban high-tech logistics complex by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in June 2016 according to an application stamped and sealed by the mayor of Seoul (Taxi Logistics Division, Urban Transportation Office of the relevant department), and in July of the same year, the second distribution facility, a national plan. It is reflected in the development plan change). Since then, Harim Industry submitted a letter of intent for investment to build an urban high-tech logistics complex on the Yangjae site in January 2018.At the end of June last year, the “Yangjae Urban High-tech Logistics Complex Complex Development Plan” was confirmed, and two months later, a letter of intent to invest in August. Submitted again.

However, the procedure for licensing and permitting the construction of an urban high-tech logistics complex has practically stopped. This is because the Seoul Metropolitan City Planning Bureau opposed it because it did not meet the standards and principles of urban planning. The loss incurred by Harim Industrial over the past four years due to the business suspension amounted to about 150 billion won.

Harim said, “The reason that the urban high-tech logistics complex development project, which has been promoted since May 2016, is still in its position to this day is because of the opposition to the city, which has not been authorized by the relevant laws.” “I am constantly opposed to it for reasons that I do not have.”

According to Harim, the Urban Planning Bureau of Seoul forced the private enterprise, Harim Industry, to withdraw the application from May 2016, which was submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Even after it was selected as a demonstration complex and reflected in the national plan, it is a position that it continued to demand that it be created as an R&D complex contrary to the national plan.

In particular, in November 2017, the deputy mayor’s policy of’Management of large-scale urban planning facilities such as the Korea Cargo Terminal’ was made and disclosed in the Seoul Communication Plaza to prevent the implementation of the urban high-tech logistics complex by specifying the’Yangjae site’. Based on the policy of the vice mayor, in July 2018, the Taxi Logistics Division, which had been in charge of the duties according to the relevant laws and regulations, became the cooperative department, and the Urban Planning Bureau Facility Planning Division was changed to the general department.

Nevertheless, Harim Industry accepted the opinion of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and submitted a second investment intent that reflected 40% of the R&D space to the Taxi Logistics Division, the supervisory department at the end of August last year. However, in November of the same year, only the official letter of the opinion that’I cannot agree with the business plan’ returned.

Harim said, “This is not only without prior consultation or approval process with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which deals with the state-of-the-art logistics complex as a state plan, but also was forced to reject the department in charge of the business.” “It is difficult to interpret otherwise than the intention to influence the construction project of the Yangjae site urban high-tech logistics complex,” he said.

Put a bad frame of’preferential’ on incentives prescribed by law

The two sides are showing a sharp difference in position, so the situation is expected to be difficult to close. Harim is demanding that the Yangjae site project be reinvented because it is a new concept logistics infrastructure, but the urban planning facility (distribution business facility) located near the Yangjae IC, the Yangjae R&D Innovation District owned by Harim, has a floor area ratio of less than 400%. It is managed as.

Harim Industry submitted a letter of intent for investment applying the maximum floor area ratio that can be allowed for the site in accordance with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s logistics complex development guidelines that’the upper limit of floor area ratio can be applied’. The floor area ratio is deliberated and confirmed by the Logistics Complex Planning Council (Chairman of Seoul Mayor) consisting of experts in various fields such as urban planning, logistics location, construction, transportation, and environment, taking into account traffic impact assessment and environmental impact assessment.

Harim said, “By applying the Logistics Facility Act and the Industrial Complex Procedure Simplification Act, not the laws related to urban planning, incentives such as simplification of the licensing process, development density (floor area ratio), and public contribution are set and granted by law.” While reflecting 40% of the R&D space, the legally provided incentive effect has virtually disappeared.”

In addition, the Harim Group is unfair to argue that the Urban Planning Bureau of Seoul is concerned about reproducing the controversy over preferential treatment as Harim Industry insists on only 800% floor area ratio. The group explained that this was a bad frame of’preferentiality’ to incentives (investment incentives) set by the law.

The situation is like this, but the city of Seoul is sticking to the position that it cannot approve projects beyond the established urban planning standards. Lee Jeong-hwa, head of the Seoul City Planning Bureau, said, “Harim is making a request to be aligned with the existing Seoul city plan only because it has been selected and reflected in the logistics facility development comprehensive plan by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.” We are putting pressure on criminal lawsuits.

He said, “I look forward to suggesting a good plan that fits the development conditions of the region and the upper level plan of Seoul, and minimizes the expected serious negative impact.”