"Maintenance Projects Focused on 'Reconstruction'... Remodeling and Other Options Should Be Chosen According to Complex Conditions"

KRC '2024 Annual Seminar'
Emphasizing the Importance of Early Business Feasibility Verification

Regarding housing maintenance projects, a suggestion has been made that policy support should not be biased toward reconstruction but should encourage redevelopment tailored to the conditions of individual complexes.

The Korea Remodeling Convergence Society (KRC) argued at its annual seminar held on the 26th at Seoul National University of Science and Technology that “for genuine residential environment improvement, residents should be able to choose the maintenance project method themselves, whether it be reconstruction, remodeling, or maintenance.”

Interior view of a remodeled apartment in Seoul. Not directly related to the article.

At the seminar, real estate analyst Chaesangwook, CEO of Connected Ground, pointed out the changes in reconstruction and remodeling policies, saying, “President Yoon Seok-yeol’s 2022 pledge included reconstruction and remodeling policies at an equal level, but since the proposal of the Special Act on Aging Planned Cities in September 2023, the policy direction has shifted toward reconstruction.” He emphasized the need for leveling maintenance projects considering the housing life cycle and lifespan.

Park Jincheol, president of the Architectural Institute of Korea, said, “Major policies announced by intergovernmental panels on climate change (IPCC) and the European Commission place more emphasis on remodeling,” adding, “Remodeling is highly important as a redevelopment policy in the carbon-neutral era.”

There was also a rebuttal to the Ministry of Government Legislation’s interpretation that the ‘first-floor pilotis method’ design constitutes ‘vertical extension.’ Professor Lee Sanghyun of Dankook University stated, “The pilotis applied in remodeling is structurally a different concept from the pilotis in general buildings,” and added, “When reviewing structural safety, it is reasonable to base it on the degree of increased load rather than simply the increased number of floors.” For example, when vertically extending from the 4th to the 7th floor, the load increases by 75%, but when adding one floor from the 15th to the 16th floor, the building load increases by only 6.6%, showing a difference. Professor Lee further explained, “Especially when vertically extending by one floor, the change in wall axial force ratio is very minimal, making it structurally feasible to extend without problems,” and “With today’s advanced construction technology, it is possible to make the building structurally much safer than before the extension.”

The importance of early feasibility verification of maintenance projects was also emphasized. Shin Dongwoo, president of the Korea Remodeling Convergence Society, warned, “Redevelopment projects are uncertain investments, and starting projects without initial verification by private residents can be disastrous for them.” Analyzing the feasibility of remodeling and reconstruction projects in about 100 aging complexes in the metropolitan area, he said, “There are differences in feasibility, demand types for maintenance projects, and project conditions by complex, so it is necessary to find maintenance methods suitable for each complex and region,” and “Local governments also need to understand the project conditions and characteristics of multi-family housing in their jurisdictions and establish realistic redevelopment support policies.”

Ok Jongho, emeritus professor of the Department of Architecture at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, said, “The current remodeling system has not changed significantly compared to the 2000s, so continuous discussion is necessary,” and added, “I hope that remodeling will be treated as an important policy for improving the residential environment through this policy seminar.”