[Yongsan's Future] Professor Gu Ja-hoon "Incentives Needed to Attract Global Companies to Yongsan"

Remaining Tasks for Yongsan International Business District

Professor Koo Ja-hoon of Hanyang University Graduate School of Urban Studies is an urban planning expert who has served as the Master Planner (MP) for many major development projects in Seoul, including the Yongsan International Business District. Among the various projects he has participated in, he cites the Yongsan International Business District as the most impressive.

The Future of Seoul - Ja-Hoon Koo, Professor at Hanyang University. Photo by Yongjun Cho jun21@

Professor Koo said, "The charm of the Yongsan International Business District lies not in one or two standout features, but in how everything fits together perfectly. Until now, we have only established flat district unit plans, but this project includes many interesting concepts from infrastructure design to underground roads."

Professor Koo drew much inspiration from mixed-use development cases in Tokyo, Japan. Since April last year, after Seoul City formed the MP team, he has been involved in preparing the development plan. He said, "After completing a certain level of the development plan, I visited Tokyo Midtown (Tokyo Station), Shibuya Station, and other sites in October last year to listen to explanations and see the cases firsthand. At that time, I thought, 'We can realize this too, and Yongsan can become a wonderful city.'"

He recalled, "Before visiting Japan, the development plans seemed superficial. The Yongsan International Business District development plan reflected everything I saw in Shibuya and Midtown. After the staff returned from Japan, they said, 'It feels like we have become one team.'"

For example, Miyashita Park in Shibuya was created by constructing an artificial ground to utilize underground space and establishing a rooftop park on the third floor. This idea shares common ground with the plan to create a "sky garden" by connecting the Green Square, which links to the third-floor level from Yongsan Station exit. Professor Koo said, "It’s not a park where you plant big trees, but a park that creates shade. We viewed Green Square as a sky garden concept and proposed the idea of expanding the space at the third-floor level."

The remaining challenge is to attract global companies and international organizations so that the Yongsan International Business District can function smoothly. Most Asia-Pacific branches of global companies are located in Singapore or Tokyo, but going forward, attention should be paid to Yongsan. Professor Koo said, "Korea is already an attractive place, but until now, we haven’t had the opportunity to accommodate international business functions. To attract international organizations and global companies to Yongsan, preparing hardware and software is important, but providing incentives is also necessary."

Professor Koo leads as the overall MP for the Yongsan International Business District and provides direction and advice on major development projects in Seoul. He has also served as the chief negotiator for the Jamsil Sports and MICE Complex project and has been the overall MP for the Changdong-Sanggye economic base urban regeneration project, the Seoul Station future vision and redevelopment plan, and the Seoul Innovation Park.