With the opening of the first line of the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX), Line A, just over a year away, expectations for a "10-minute Seoul" living zone are growing. Just as the KTX connected the entire country into a half-day living zone, GTX is also expected to transform living areas by linking Seoul within 10 minutes.
Looking at the example of the KTX, when it opened in April 2004, travel, lifestyle, and business trip patterns changed. The KTX, with a top speed of 300 km/h, connected Seoul and major cities nationwide within two hours, creating a half-day living zone. This expanded travel options and increased travel frequency, accelerating regional exchange and economic growth. Business trip culture also changed, with many office workers commuting daily to Seoul from places like Daejeon and Cheonan in the Chungnam area via KTX.
The industry expects the opening of GTX to have an impact comparable to that of the KTX. In particular, there is high interest in Line A, which will open first. It is the only line that has already begun construction.
In the 2023 work plan announced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport earlier this year, GTX Line A is scheduled to undergo test runs in the second half of the year and sequentially open the Suseo-Dongtan section in the first half of 2024. Following that, the Unjeong-Seoul Station section will open in the second half of the same year, and by the second half of 2025, all sections except Samsung Station (which will connect in 2028) are expected to open.
GTX Line A is analyzed to be an important transportation network that will improve the quality of life for residents of the metropolitan area who spend a lot of time commuting daily. For example, the Suseo-Dongtan section of GTX Line A currently takes about 80 minutes by public transportation, but once fully opened, it will be drastically reduced to about 19 minutes. Additionally, the formation of a 30-minute living zone in the metropolitan area will activate the use of cultural and lifestyle infrastructure in downtown Seoul and Gangnam, while also helping to revitalize the local economy.
An industry official said, "Just as the KTX connected the country into a half-day living zone, GTX is expected to transform Seoul and the metropolitan area into 10-minute and 30-minute living zones," adding, "The opening of GTX is expected to change the overall environment of regions in terms of culture, lifestyle, and economy, leading to increased interest in real estate markets near the stations."
Meanwhile, 'Billive Acent,' supplied by Shinsegae Construction, is attracting attention for its prime location near Yeonsinnae Station, a stop on GTX Line A.
Billive Acent boasts a convenient transportation environment as it is located in the immediate vicinity of Yeonsinnae Station, a transfer station for Seoul Subway Lines 3 and 6. Especially, with the partial opening of GTX Line A at Yeonsinnae Station expected around 2024, it holds high future value. Once the entire GTX Line A is fully operational, it will take about 9 minutes from Yeonsinnae to Samsung Station, enabling access to the Gangnam living zone. Experts believe that as Eunpyeong-gu's value rises as a neighborhood adjacent to Gangnam through GTX, the real estate around Yeonsinnae Station will be evaluated on par with the Gangnam area. Furthermore, GTX Line A has only four stops?Yeonsinnae Station, Seoul Station, Samsung Station, and Suseo Station?and Yeonsinnae Station, as a transfer station for three lines including GTX, is expected to hold a unique position in the real estate market.
Additionally, the complex is near Rodeo Street and Yeonseo Market, and close to various lifestyle infrastructures such as NC Department Store Bulgwang Branch, Lotte Mall Eunpyeong Branch, E-Mart Eunpyeong Branch, Starfield Goyang, as well as Cheonggu Seongsim Hospital and Catholic University Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital. In particular, the commercial facility within the complex, 'Billive Acent The Place,' will include a Megabox cinema, making it convenient to enjoy shopping and cultural activities.
The product completeness is also high, promising high residential satisfaction. It plans to introduce the first resident service in Eunpyeong-gu (scheduled) to enhance residents' quality of life, and premium kitchen appliances will be fully built-in.
Moreover, the dual-way innovative floor plan (exclusive 84㎡ type), previously applied only to large apartment units, is applied to Billive Officetel, adding symbolic value. The dual-way innovative floor plan excels at blocking external dust and features a circulation layout in the utility room to reduce household chores.
Also, a 2.5m ceiling height, 20cm higher than typical apartments, is applied to all unit types to secure a sense of openness. With the higher ceiling, windows are also taller to maximize indoor sunlight, and storage space has been expanded. Especially in the living room, frameless glass railing windows are applied to secure lighting and create a modern and distinctive exterior. Additionally, storage rooms are provided for each household on every floor (with the 101 building's storage planned for the basement), making it easy to store large items.
The complex recently changed contract conditions to reduce the burden on buyers. First, a fixed contract deposit system was introduced, setting the deposit from 20 million KRW (with credit loan brokerage and full interest support), significantly reducing initial financial burden. Also, a safety guarantee system is provided to protect buyers from losses if the actual transaction price at move-in is lower than the sale price.
Meanwhile, Billive Acent is being developed in Bulgwang-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, with 492 units/rooms ranging from 49 to 84㎡, in buildings from 5 basement floors to 24 above-ground floors, and a model house is also in operation.
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