Oh Se-hoon Receives Urban Planning Report... 35-Story Limit Excluded

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] On the 15th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon received a work report from the Urban Planning Bureau and the Urban Transportation Office.

According to the city, Mayor Oh was briefed by the Urban Planning Bureau on the '2040 Seoul Basic Urban Plan' (Seoul Plan), which forms the foundation for envisioning the future of Seoul, but the much-discussed issue of apartment floor height regulations was reportedly omitted.

Seoul has prepared the 2030 Seoul Plan, which outlines the city's vision for the next ten years, and is currently working on the 2040 Seoul Plan to follow it.

The 2030 Seoul Plan specifies that residential buildings, regardless of zoning or location, must have a maximum of '35 floors or less.' This conflicts with Mayor Oh's proposal to revise the '35-floor limit on Han River apartments.'

Some speculated that the work report might include plans to relax floor height restrictions in the 2040 Seoul Plan, but a city official stated that no notable discussions took place.

The official said, "It was a session to provide a general overview of concepts such as smart cities and post-COVID-19 urban development," adding, "Specific details like easing height restrictions or increasing floor area ratios were not included."