Miseong 1st Phase 'Independent Reconstruction' Lawsuit First Trial Verdict Next Month
Outcome to Decide Reconstruction Direction of Two Complexes
Possibility of Resuming Integration Talks After 3 Years
Promotion Committee "Will Introduce Independent Settlement System and Vice-Union Leader"
Apgujeong 1 District, consisting of Miseong 1st and 2nd complexes, is reaching a turning point in discussions on integrated reconstruction. This comes as the first trial result of a lawsuit filed by Miseong 1st against Gangnam District Office, requesting recognition for separate reconstruction, is set to be announced next month. Depending on the outcome, the direction of reconstruction discussions between the two complexes is expected to change significantly. There is also a possibility that integrated discussions could resume after three years. If discussions begin, the pace of the project in Apgujeong 1 District, which has been the slowest among the Apgujeong reconstruction complexes in Gangnam, is expected to accelerate.
According to the maintenance industry on the 22nd, the verdict for the lawsuit filed by Miseong 1st against Gangnam District Office, demanding sequential consent forms for the establishment of the association promotion committee, will be delivered on the 13th of next month. Miseong 1st requested sequential consent forms from the district office to form a separate reconstruction promotion committee. However, when the district office refused, they filed a lawsuit in February this year. Receiving the sequential consent forms is necessary to officially establish the promotion committee and to collect consent forms for the establishment of the association.
Apgujeong 1 District, composed of Miseong 1st and 2nd complexes, is grouped under a single district unit plan considering the overall urban development direction. Because of this, reconstruction was pursued in an integrated manner, and a promotion committee was formed. However, disagreements over the integration method led to a halt in discussions in 2021, and no progress has been made for three years since. Meanwhile, Miseong 1st has shifted to pursuing separate reconstruction efforts.
This first trial verdict will effectively determine whether Miseong 1st can proceed with separate reconstruction. If they lose, independent reconstruction promotion will legally become virtually impossible. This could serve as a driving force for Miseong 1st to resume integrated reconstruction discussions. It is known that Miseong 1st has decided not to appeal even if the verdict is against them.
The integrated reconstruction promotion committee plans to actively attempt integrated discussions if the first trial judgment finds that separate reconstruction by Miseong 1st is difficult. It is also reported that they are currently persuading Miseong 1st owners behind the scenes regarding integration methods.
The most important issue is reaching an agreement on the method of integrated reconstruction discussions. The two complexes have large differences in total number of households and floor area ratio, making integration difficult. Miseong 1st has a floor area ratio of 153%, which is favorable for business feasibility, but has only 322 households. In contrast, Miseong 2nd has 911 households, nearly three times that of the 1st, but a floor area ratio of 233%, which is less favorable for business feasibility. Because of this, owners of Miseong 1st are concerned that integration discussions will be skewed in favor of Miseong 2nd.
The promotion committee intends to supplement the system reflecting the concerns of Miseong 1st owners, as was done during the initial promotion. They plan to introduce a vice-chairman system where if the chairman comes from one complex, the other complex can have a vice-chairman, and include a proviso that agenda items not agreed upon by the chairman and vice-chairman will not be submitted to the board. They will also introduce an independent settlement system where the amount of contributions varies according to the business feasibility of each complex. A promotion committee official said, "We are persuading Miseong 2nd owners that these minority protection principles do not harm Miseong 2nd at all, but rather can accelerate reconstruction."
Meanwhile, the Apgujeong apartment district reconstruction is designated as a district unit plan and is being carried out divided into zones 1 to 6. Among these, zones 2 to 5 are progressing rapidly, with the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s rapid integrated planning proposing a maintenance plan allowing a maximum of 70 floors. These zones will undergo resident opinion collection procedures and then be submitted to the Urban Planning Committee for review and deliberation.
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