Is Seobanpo in the Name of Heukseok-dong Apartment? "It's Not True That the Name Has Been Changed"

Heukseok Apartment "Seobanpo Name Not Confirmed"
"Complex Name to Be Decided Through Discussion with the Association"

Recently, news spread that the name of the apartment complex to be built in Heukseok 11 District, Seoul, was decided as 'Seobanpo Summit The Hill,' sparking controversy. However, it has been confirmed that this is not true. Despite the apartment being located in Heukseok-dong, controversy arose because the complex name included 'Seobanpo.' Both the developer and the construction company responded that the complex name has not yet been decided, and the controversy seems to be subsiding.

A representative from Daewoo E&C stated on the 22nd, "It was reported that the Heukseok apartment would have the name Seobanpo attached, but this is not true," adding, "There has been no discussion at all regarding the complex name." He continued, "There are claims that the union general meeting decided to use the name Seobanpo, but that is also not true. The units have not even been put up for sale yet, and no name has been decided."

Perspective view of Heukseok District 11. [Image source=Korea Land Trust]

This controversy appears to have arisen from an announcement by Korea Land Trust. Recently, Korea Land Trust issued a press release about this apartment, including 'Seobanpo' in the apartment complex name. A Daewoo E&C representative said, "It seems that the name 'Seobanpo Summit The Hill' spread after Korea Land Trust's materials were released."

Subsequently, Korea Land Trust responded that 'Seobanpo Summit The Hill' is not a confirmed name. A Korea Land Trust representative explained, "Nothing has been finalized regarding the apartment name," adding, "The use of the name Seobanpo was mentioned during the bidding process, and since the name Seobanpo is sometimes used when referring to Heukseok New Town, it was used." He further stated, "The complex name is something to be decided through discussions with the union."

Not only the name Seobanpo but also the use of 'Summit The Hill' for this apartment has not been decided. A Daewoo E&C representative said, "We have decided to use the name Summit," but added, "However, nothing has been decided about attaching the names Seobanpo or The Hill." He explained, "Usually, the complex name is decided after the sales plan is announced," and "Since the sales plan has not been clearly released yet, the complex name will be decided later."

The apartment to be built in Heukseok 11 District will go on general sale in the second half of this year. It is a large complex consisting of 25 buildings with 1,522 units, ranging from 5 basement floors to 16 floors, located at 304 Heukseok-dong. Of these, about 430 units will be for general sale. The controversy arose because, unlike names such as 'Heukseok Acro River Heim' or 'Heukseok River Park Xi,' which include Heukseok in the Heukseok New Town complex names, this complex name includes Seobanpo instead of Heukseok. Seobanpo is an administrative district that does not actually exist, and Banpo belongs to Seocho-gu.

Meanwhile, Seoul City published a booklet titled 'A New Guide to Apartment Naming' in February. This booklet established five guidelines: △Avoid using difficult foreign words △Utilize indigenous place names △Avoid using nicknames (pet names) △Maintain an appropriate number of characters △Follow the enactment procedures for names desired by residents.