Height Restrictions Lifted in Jongno Gugi and Pyeongchang... Construction Allowed Up to 45m

Some Areas of Seochon Relaxed to 18~24m

Jongno District Office.

The relaxation of height management standards in the designated high-rise zones centered around Pyeongchang and Buam-dong areas in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as well as the Seochon area near Gyeongbokgung Palace, has been confirmed.

Accordingly, the height limit in the Gugi and Pyeongchang high-rise zones in Pyeongchang and Buam-dong areas will be eased from 20m to 24m (up to 28m with relaxation), and when redevelopment or other maintenance projects are pursued, buildings can be constructed up to a maximum height of 45m after city review according to Seoul’s landscape management guidelines.

Regulations in some parts of Seochon, which belong to the Gyeongbokgung surrounding high-rise zone, have been relaxed from the current 16m to 18m, and from 20m to 24m. This is the first change since the area was first designated as a high-rise zone in 1977.

Jongno-gu announced on the 8th that this decision was made when Seoul City finalized and publicly notified the urban management plan change (proposal) for the reorganization of the high-rise zone through the Urban Planning Committee review on the 27th of last month.

Jongno-gu stated, “Since the launch of the 8th administration, we have been striving to resolve residents’ inconveniences demanding improvements in residential environments, reduce development disparities with surrounding areas, and strengthen urban competitiveness. Regarding the ‘New High-Rise Zone Concept’ announced by Seoul City last June, which included a reorganization plan that made it difficult to relax height management standards to protect the views of major mountains such as Bukhansan and Gyeongbokgung, we have continuously consulted with Seoul City by presenting the necessity and specific grounds for relaxation.”

In April, the district also held a ‘Resident Discussion Meeting for Relaxation of Use District Regulations’ at the Pyeongchang-dong Community Center and Cheongunhyoja-dong Community Center, listening to residents’ opinions about property rights infringement and residential environment issues, and discussing reasonable relaxation measures.

Jung Moon-heon, Mayor of Jongno-gu, said, “This is good news for residents who have lived in the high-rise zone area for decades and had to endure inconveniences due to development restrictions and various regulations. Given the severe damages suffered so far, it is very fortunate to establish a foundation for improving the residential environment through the relaxation of height management standards in the high-rise zone. We will also seek reasonable and practical measures to relax regulations in natural landscape zones as well as the high-rise zones.”