Kang Byung-geun, Seoul City Chief Architect, Reappointed for a Second Term

Non-permanent Position Directly Under the Mayor, Term Extended by 2 Years
Reappointment to Promote 100-Year Seoul Future Vision
Seoul Chief Architect Partners to Form Advisory Group

Gang Byeong-geun, the Chief Architect of Seoul, has had his term extended until June 2026. To strengthen the role of the Chief Architect, Seoul City plans to establish the Seoul Chief Architect Partners (tentative name) and a Future Space Advisory Group.

On the 27th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented a letter of appointment to Kang Byung-geun, Seoul's Chief Architect.

On the 27th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented a commission certificate to Chief Architect Gang Byeong-geun and reappointed him as the 4th Chief Architect of Seoul.

Chief Architect Gang is an urban and architectural expert with both academic knowledge and practical skills. He was appointed as the 4th Chief Architect of Seoul in July 2021. After a one-year renewal in July last year, he was further reappointed for two more years, extending his term until the end of June 2026.

Seoul City decided on the additional renewal to consistently carry out various ongoing projects related to Seoul’s spatial environment and to lay the foundation for major initiatives such as the 100-Year Seoul Future Vision. Going forward, he will oversee the comprehensive planning and coordination of Seoul’s urban architectural policies and spatial environment projects.

Chief Architect Gang has contributed to enhancing the level of public architecture and urban spaces in Seoul through projects such as the Nodeul Global Art Island development, Yongsan International Business District, urban and architectural design innovation projects, Garden City Seoul (including the Seoul International Garden Expo and Namsan Sky Forest Trail), realization of an emotional city, Seoul-style waterfront emotional city, Great Hangang, and the 100-Year Future Seoul Vision.

He has also worked on ▲advising on urban spatial strategies to improve Seoul’s urban quality and consider future cities, ▲researching urban architectural policies and advising on public architecture projects, and ▲strengthening urban architectural design competitiveness through architectural cultural exchanges by inviting domestic and international architects using his extensive human networks.

Seoul City plans to strengthen the functions of the Chief Architect and enhance the competitiveness of Seoul’s urban spaces by forming the Seoul Chief Architect Partners (tentative name) and the Future Space Advisory Group.

The Seoul Chief Architect Partners will play a role in planning and coordinating Seoul’s urban architectural policies and spatial environment projects. It is expected to consist of 4 to 5 domestic architects (in the fields of urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and sustainability) and 4 to 5 international architects (in design, form, ecology, and urban fields).

The Future Space Advisory Group will be composed of about 20 experts in urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, culture, and related fields who can share information and provide opinions on major policies and projects related to Seoul’s urban spaces. The advisory group will provide consultation on overall urban spaces in response to environmental changes.

Im Chang-su, Director of Future Space Planning at Seoul City, said, "With the reappointment of Chief Architect Gang Byeong-geun, we will be able to pursue consistent policy projects. By forming and operating the Seoul Chief Architect Partners (tentative name) and the advisory group in the second half of this year, we will establish a comprehensive cooperation system with the Chief Architect and further strengthen Seoul’s urban architectural competitiveness."