8 out of 16 Sangye Jugong Complexes Face Detailed Safety Inspections
Growing Local Expectations Following Consecutive Safety Inspection Successes
Meanwhile, Concerns Rise Over Final Stage Elimination After Taereung Woosung Fails Feasibility Review
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] The Sangyeju-gong 7 Complex in Sangye-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul, which was completed 33 years ago, has conditionally passed the preliminary safety inspection, the first hurdle for reconstruction. With the number of complexes in the Sangye district advancing to the detailed safety inspection stage increasing to eight out of sixteen, the reconstruction projects in the area seem to be gaining momentum. However, concerns are also rising that more complexes might face setbacks at the final stage due to stricter safety inspection regulations, resulting in failures at the secondary safety inspection.
According to the maintenance industry on the 22nd, the Sangyeju-gong 7 Complex received a D grade in the preliminary safety inspection conducted by Nowon-gu Office on the 20th, thus conditionally passing. To proceed with reconstruction, a complex must receive a grade of D or lower among the A to E grades. Passing the preliminary safety inspection allows the complex to move forward with the detailed safety inspection.
Completed in 1988, the Sangyeju-gong 7 Complex is a mid-rise apartment complex consisting of 21 buildings with up to 15 floors above ground and a total of 2,634 households. It is an ultra-station area complex located right in front of Nowon Station on subway lines 4 and 7, with unit sizes ranging from 58 to 105 square meters (exclusive area).
With the addition of the 7 Complex, eight out of the sixteen Sangyeju-gong complexes?namely complexes 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 16?have passed the preliminary safety inspection and are preparing for the detailed safety inspection. Among the reconstruction projects in the area, the 5 Complex is progressing the fastest, having completed the designation of the maintenance zone in January this year, while the 6 Complex received a D grade in the detailed safety inspection and is awaiting a public institution’s appropriateness review.
Since the inauguration of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, reconstruction efforts in the Sangye-dong area have gained momentum. These complexes have been considered less profitable compared to other major reconstruction areas due to relatively lower housing prices and higher floor area ratios. However, with Mayor Oh’s promise of deregulation, investment demand has surged. Moreover, while major reconstruction areas such as Apgujeong-dong in Gangnam-gu, Yeouido-dong in Yeongdeungpo, and Mok-dong in Yangcheon-gu have been designated as land transaction permission zones, the Nowon-gu area has avoided such restrictions, changing the situation.
On the other hand, anxiety is growing among reconstruction projects in the area after the Taereung Woosung Apartment failed to pass the secondary detailed safety inspection on the 16th. Completed in 1985, Taereung Woosung is the oldest among the reconstruction projects in the area, and it was widely expected to pass the secondary detailed safety inspection. However, it received a score of 60.07 (grade C, maintenance and repair), which is more than 10 points higher than the first safety inspection score of 48.98 (grade D), resulting in a setback.
An official involved in the Sangyeju-gong reconstruction project said, “Taereung Woosung, which is progressing the fastest in the area, has been considered a barometer for reconstruction projects,” adding, “With its failure in the appropriateness review this time, other complexes are also becoming cautious about proceeding to the next stage.” In fact, the Sangyeju-gong 6 Complex in Sangye-dong, Nowon-gu, which received a D grade in the first detailed safety inspection in April, has decided to postpone the appropriateness review until the end of the year.
Outside of Nowon, complexes receiving reconstruction disapproval are increasing across Seoul. The Godeokju-gong 9 Complex in Myeongil-dong, Gangdong-gu, completed in 1985, passed the first detailed safety inspection with a D grade at the end of last year but received a C grade in the appropriateness review last month, halting project progress. The 11 Complex in the New Town area of Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, also received a C grade in the secondary detailed safety inspection in March, resulting in a reconstruction disapproval.
The Moon Jae-in administration raised the weighting of structural safety, one of the evaluation criteria in safety inspections, from 20% to 50% in 2017 to fundamentally block reconstruction progress. As a result, many complexes failed the safety inspections, leading to growing dissatisfaction. In response, Seoul City officially requested in April to reduce the structural safety weighting from 50% to 30%, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has shown no significant movement so far.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
