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Seo Kang-seok, chair of the Seoul District Chiefs Council and mayor of Songpa-gu, speaks during a joint press briefing on the government’s “October 15 Housing Market Stabilization Plan” at Seoul City Hall on October 22. / Photo by Jung Jae-hoon

Fifteen district mayors in Seoul have urged the government to withdraw or scale back its plan to expand land transaction permit zones across the city, calling the move excessive and unilateral.

At a press conference at Seoul City Hall on Tuesday, the Seoul District Chiefs Council released a joint statement criticizing the government’s “October 15 Housing Market Stabilization Plan.” The statement was signed by 15 mayors affiliated with the People Power Party, including those from Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa districts — the city’s major real estate hubs.

“The land permit system is one of the strongest restrictions on private property and should be used only in exceptional cases,” the council said. “This designation was made without consultation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government or the district offices.”

Seo Kang-seok, mayor of Songpa District and chair of the council, said the government’s unilateral decision “damages local autonomy and infringes on residents’ property rights.”

The mayors argued that Seoul and its districts are already expanding institutional support for redevelopment and reconstruction through fast-track planning programs. “Housing stability should come from more supply and better administrative support, not stronger regulation,” the council added.

The 15 districts that joined the statement are Gangnam, Gangdong, Gwangjin, Dobong, Dongdaemun, Dongjak, Mapo, Seodaemun, Seocho, Songpa, Yangcheon, Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, Jongno, and Jung.