Administratively Heukseok-dong but 'Seobanpo Summit The Hill'
"Criticism of the trick to raise apartment prices with a wealthy neighborhood image"
The name of the apartment complex planned to be built in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, has been decided as ‘Seobanpo Summit The Hill,’ sparking controversy. Critics argue that this is a loophole to raise apartment prices by including the name of a wealthy neighborhood.
According to the real estate industry on the 21st, the Heukseok 11 District Redevelopment Maintenance Association announced that the apartment complex name was decided as ‘Seobanpo Summit The Hill’ based on a vote by association members. The place name ‘Seobanpo’ does not actually exist, and ‘The Hill’ is said to be derived from ‘Hannam The Hill’ in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, which is famous for its ultra-luxury apartments.
The apartment complex will be built on Heukseok-dong lot 304, consisting of 25 buildings with 1,522 households, ranging from 5 basement floors to 16 above-ground floors. It offers views of the Han River and access to Dongjak Station and Heukseok Station on Seoul Subway Lines 9 and 4. The construction company is Daewoo E&C, applying a high-end brand.
Heukseok 11 District Redevelopment Promotion Project Complex Plan [Image source=Provided by Seoul City]
Including ‘Banpo’ in the name of an apartment built in Heukseok-dong, an administrative district, is analyzed as an attempt to induce apartment price increases by gaining the image of a wealthy neighborhood. This differs from nearby apartment complexes named ‘Heukseok Acro Riverheim’ or ‘Heukseok Riverpark Xi.’
In response, negative reactions have continued on online communities. Netizens criticized the naming, saying, “Drawing stripes on a pumpkin doesn’t make it a watermelon,” “Are you ashamed to live in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu?” “It’s a shallow marketing tactic,” and “Since it’s still below the Han River, just call it Gangnam.” However, some opinions stated, “In a capitalist country, it’s nothing anyone can criticize to try to increase asset value.”
There are precedents for such apartment naming. ‘Sinchon Grand Xi’ in Daehyeong-dong, Mapo-gu, changed its name to ‘Mapo Grand Xi’ in 2022, based on the judgment that ‘Mapo’ would better enhance the apartment’s image than ‘Sinchon.’
In the case of ‘Mokdong Central Park I-Park We’ve,’ completed in 2020, the location is Sinwol-dong, not Mokdong in Yangcheon-gu. The names of three apartment complexes completed last year near Susaek Station in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, all include ‘DMC (Digital Media City)’ rather than ‘Susaek,’ such as ‘DMC Fine City Xi,’ ‘DMC Art Foret Xi,’ and ‘DMC SK View I-Park Foret.’
Meanwhile, Seoul City presented guidelines on December 21 last year regarding the naming of multi-family housing, requesting adherence to legal and administrative district names when using place names for apartment names. The guidelines include ▲ refraining from using foreign nicknames that complicate apartment names ▲ recommending that complex names be within 10 characters ▲ encouraging the use of original place names ▲ and prohibiting the use of names from other administrative or legal districts.
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