[Interview] Lee Soon-hee, Gangbuk-gu Mayor: "New Government Office Building by 2028 Will Revitalize Local Economy"

Construction starts in 2026, completion targeted for 2028... Developed as a symbolic landmark with resident convenience facilities... Resolving district residents' inconveniences through one-stop administrative services

"The newly constructed Gangbuk-gu New Office will be reborn not as a rigid government building but as an open community space for residents. We will create cultural and sports facilities that provide various social interaction opportunities, making it a symbolic landmark representing the northeastern area."

In an interview with this publication, Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, revealed the blueprint for the new office building and said the project would accelerate with the goal of starting construction in 2026 and completing it in 2028.

Following the conditional approval of the 'New Office Construction Project' by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Central Investment Review for Local Finance (hereafter referred to as Central Investment Review) on the 2nd of last month, the district is now concretizing the project.

The Gangbuk-gu Office building, now 50 years old, needs renovation not only to improve the aging office environment but also because residents are experiencing inconvenience when using administrative services.

The current Gangbuk-gu Office area (10,511.94㎡) is only 39.87% of the standard set by the Act on the Management of Public Property and Goods (26,368㎡ for populations under 500,000). Due to limited space, seven departments are separated into temporary offices (Suyu 3-dong), complex offices (Mia-dong), and administrative facilities such as Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center and Gangbuk-gu Council are dispersed in Beon 2-dong and Insu-dong.

As a result, many residents visiting to handle various administrative tasks express inconvenience, and the parking space (42 spots) is insufficient, increasing dissatisfaction among residents.

To address these issues, the mayor secured the most critical budget for the new office construction immediately upon taking office. In the second half of last year’s supplementary budget, 28.4 billion KRW was allocated; 77 billion KRW was included in the 2023 main budget; and approximately 34.7 billion KRW was added in this year’s second half supplementary budget, all set aside as the New Office Construction Fund. Subsequently, in June this year, the feasibility study by the Korea Local Finance Association and the Central Investment Review by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in November were completed, beginning to finalize the project plan that had been stalled for about 20 years.

According to the initial plan established by the district, the Gangbuk-gu New Office will be built on the current office site (Suyu-dong 192-59 area). On the site designated as Block 1, a public office building with a total floor area of 38,124㎡ and 5 basement floors to 17 above-ground floors will be constructed. On the site designated as Block 2 (Suyu-dong 190-11 area), a resident convenience facility with a total floor area of 27,406㎡ and 5 basement floors to 20 above-ground floors will be built.

The total project cost is estimated at approximately 399.9 billion KRW. As of October this year, the district has already secured about 82% (327.9 billion KRW) of the required budget through its own resources in the New Office Construction Fund. Of this, 42.72% (approximately 140.1 billion KRW) was raised by Mayor Lee within just one year and six months despite difficult financial conditions. Additional funds will be secured through subsidies from the national government and Seoul City when constructing the resident convenience facilities.

The district expects the new office construction project to generate added value exceeding the investment amount. Revitalizing the Suyu commercial district is a representative example. Mayor Lee stated, "Our goal is to develop the Suyu commercial district into a self-sustaining and competitive flagship commercial area in Seoul through a local brand project." To this end, the district plans to form a commercial district council to enhance the capabilities of the Suyu commercial district, foster creative brands, discover new content, and implement various projects such as cultural events and performances.

The Gangbuk-gu New Office is scheduled for completion in 2028, by which time the preceding projects will also be finished. Mayor Lee Soon-hee said, "After going through procedures such as design competitions and basic design, we plan to announce a detailed development plan for the new office around the second half of next year." She added, "Through various projects that can lead regional development, we will transform Gangbuk-gu into a beautiful premium city where nature and the urban environment coexist."