Yongsan-gu Establishes and Operates District TF for Yongsan International Business District Development Project
Deputy Mayor as General TF Team Leader, Director of Urban Management Bureau as Practical TF Team Leader, Participation of 10 Departments
Proactive Review from Development Planning Stage to Minor Inconveniences of Residents
Strengthening Cooperation System with Seoul City and Project Implementers (KORAIL, SH Corporation)
Yongsan-gu has formed a special task force (TF) and strengthened cooperation with Seoul City and project implementers (KORAIL, SH Corporation) to ensure the success of the ‘Yongsan International Business District Development Project,’ which is being re-promoted after 10 years.
The Yongsan International Business District Development Project is a massive complex development project realizing a mixed-use of jobs, housing, leisure, and culture. The site area is approximately 500,000㎡, twice the size of Yeouido Park. The district TF is committed to thorough proactive responses from the planning stage, including collecting residents’ opinions and reflecting surrounding conditions at the project site.
The TF is led by the Deputy Mayor as the General TF Team Leader and the Director of the Urban Management Bureau as the Practical TF Team Leader. Regarding site formation, the Urban Planning Division is responsible, while the Future Strategy Officer oversees external cooperation.
Additionally, the Traffic Administration Division, Parks and Greenery Division, Education Support Division, Health and Medical Division, Senior and Youth Division, Women and Family Division, Cultural Promotion Division, and Hangangro-dong Resident Center participate to review and promote relevant matters as needed.
The TF’s key focus areas include ▲comprehensive review of transportation, landscaping, welfare, and education within the development area ▲unification of communication channels between Seoul City, project implementers, and the district at each project stage ▲review of residents’ opinions.
The development project is expected to accelerate in the second half of this year when the project implementer submits a proposal. Upon receiving the proposal from the implementer, Yongsan-gu, as the planning authority, will conduct public inspection, inter-departmental consultations, and seek advice from the Urban Planning Committee before requesting a decision from Seoul City, the decision-making authority.
After Seoul City completes reviews such as committee deliberations and finally designates the area as an ‘urban development project zone,’ the project implementer will complete various administrative permits and approvals, install infrastructure such as parks and roads, and private entities will complete the project by parcel.
Kim Seon-su, Acting Mayor of Yongsan-gu, stated, “The resumption of the Yongsan International Business District project is a signal to lead Yongsan’s urban development,” adding, “We will meticulously examine details on-site to ensure the international business district becomes a global new economic hub.”
The Yongsan International Business District development began in the early 2000s but was ultimately canceled in 2013 due to deteriorating conditions caused by the global financial crisis. The re-promotion gained momentum after Seoul City announced the development plan in July 2022.
The main development directions are ▲a ‘converged international city’ with diverse 24-hour activities ▲a three-dimensional ‘multidirectional transportation city’ connected globally ▲a ‘green ecological city’ with a pleasant living environment that enhances citizens’ quality of life ▲a ‘smart city’ as an advanced smart technology innovation base.
The Yongsan International Business District development will be promoted step-by-step and sequentially by the public sector as the project implementer (with KORAIL holding 70% and SH Corporation 30% shares), instead of the private PFV (project finance vehicle)-led comprehensive development, which was one of the reasons for the previous project’s failure.
Gangdong Grand Design Urban Development Basic Plan Establishes First Step for City Image Branding
Innovative Ideas Expected through Task Force and Working Group Operation in Related Departments
Future Vision of Gangdong-gu Urban Development Presented through Strategies and Urban Spatial Plans
Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Su-hee) is promoting the establishment of the Gangdong Grand Design Urban Development Plan to prepare a proactive urban management and development plan reflecting mid- to long-term changes in Gangdong-gu’s conditions from a long-term and comprehensive perspective.
First, the district announced a bid for the Gangdong Grand Design Urban Development Basic Plan service on February 27, and after the proposal evaluation committee on the 24th, it plans to negotiate and sign a contract with the selected company by the end of March. The basic service amount is 300 million KRW, and the project period is 10 months from the start date.
The main tasks of this service include ▲basic status survey and condition analysis ▲presentation of Gangdong-gu’s future urban development vision and derivation of core tasks ▲derivation of goals and vision for each core task and basic concept ▲presentation of promotion strategies and urban spatial plans for each core task ▲execution plans and feasibility analysis of major projects.
Planning Gangdong-gu’s Future Vision Aiming to be the Eastern Metropolitan Area Center
The Gangdong Grand Design is an urban development plan established for the first time in eight years since the ‘2030 Gangdong-gu Long-term Development Comprehensive Plan’ based on 2015. Through the Gangdong Grand Design, the district aims to bridge the development gap between the old and new towns and prepare a systematic urban plan that envisions Gangdong-gu as a growth hub connecting metropolitan cities in the Seoul metropolitan area and the center of the eastern metropolitan area. This service marks the first step toward that goal.
Concentrated Administrative Efforts through Two-Track Operation of Related Departments’ TF and Working Group
Until now, most local governments’ urban development plans have been conducted as academic research services by planning departments or technical services initiated by urban planning departments. However, Gangdong-gu established the District Innovation Promotion Team directly under the Deputy Mayor during the organizational restructuring last September to create a sustainable comprehensive plan that organically links the presentation of future visions embodying new urban values and technical design of spatial structures. Centered on the District Innovation Promotion Team, a ‘related departments TF’ and an advisory body ‘working group’ composed of external experts and public officials will be operated to focus administrative power.
Gangdong-gu expects that through the proposal evaluation for this service, a contractor with rich experience and professional knowledge capable of presenting innovative ideas and designing the district’s future vision aiming to be the eastern metropolitan area center will be selected.
Mayor Lee Su-hee of Gangdong-gu said, “Gangdong-gu is experiencing its most dynamic period since its establishment,” and added, “As Gangdong-gu approaches a population of 500,000, we will lay the foundation for future development so that it can grow into a balanced self-sufficient city through the establishment of the Grand Design.”
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