Old apartment complexes in Seoul are heating up with reconstruction fever in the middle of summer. Earlier this year, the easing of regulations lowered the previously high barriers for safety inspections, creating a rush to initiate reconstruction projects. In particular, in Nowon-gu, where apartments over 30 years old are densely concentrated, fierce competition is unfolding among complexes to determine the order of reconstruction.
According to the maintenance industry on the 9th, a total of three apartment complexes in Seoul have officially started the detailed safety inspection procedures for reconstruction in July alone. First, on the 5th, Nowon-gu Office put out a bid for a detailed safety inspection service to determine the reconstruction of Junggye Jugong Complex 4 in Junggye-dong. It is a 33-year-old apartment complex built in 1991 with a total of 690 households. It is close to Eunnang Intersection and a cluster of academies, and adjacent to excellent school districts such as Junggye Middle School and Wongwang Elementary School.
Two days later, on the 7th, Nowon-gu Office announced a bid for a detailed safety inspection service to determine the reconstruction of Junggye Geonyeong Complex 2 in Junggye-dong. This is also a 33-year-old apartment complex completed in 1991 with a total of 742 households. It is located right next to Junggye Station on Subway Line 7, offering excellent transportation convenience. It passed the preliminary safety inspection in April last year.
On the same day, Mapo-gu Office announced a bid for a detailed safety inspection for the reconstruction of Dohwa Woosung in Dohwa-dong. This complex has a total of 1,222 households and is a 35-year-old apartment complex built in 1989. Half of the units are medium to large-sized with exclusive areas of 84㎡ or more. It is close to the Han River and takes 5 to 10 minutes on foot to Mapo Station. It passed the preliminary safety inspection in 2021.
Since the government rationalized reconstruction safety inspection regulations in January this year, a reconstruction boom has swept across Seoul. This year alone, more than 40 complexes in Seoul have passed safety inspections. With over 60,000 households in total, this far exceeds the average number of households moving in Seoul over the past three years, which was 45,499.
In particular, Nowon-gu has a very large number of reconstruction-targeted apartments over 30 years old, with 42 complexes and 65,000 households, leading to competition over the order of reconstruction. On the 4th, Hyundai and Woosung Apartments in Hagye-dong received reconstruction approval. In addition, recently, Wolgye Siyoung (Mimisam, Miseong·Mirung·Samho Complex 3), Sanggye Jugong Complexes 1, 2, 3, and 6, Sanggye Hanyang, Wolgye Samho Complex 4, Sanggye Mido, and Hagye Jangmi have passed detailed safety inspections.
A representative from a reconstruction complex in Nowon-gu explained, "Especially in Nowon-gu, there are many old complexes, but the reality is that not all apartments can be reconstructed," adding, "If you don't take the initiative first, you never know when the opportunity will come, so each complex is hurrying."
As Seoul City has decided to lend up to 100% of the safety inspection costs for old complexes wishing to reconstruct starting in July, the momentum for reconstruction is expected to become even more intense. On the 5th, the city announced that it had established the 'Reconstruction Safety Inspection Cost Support Work Processing Standards' and distributed them to autonomous districts, officially starting the system. According to the ordinance, complexes wishing to undergo a 'reconstruction safety inspection' must obtain consent from more than half of the residents and request cost support from the district office, and the supported costs must be repaid in cash before the project implementation approval.
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