Notice of Seongdong-gu Seongsu Strategic Maintenance Zone Maintenance Plan Decision (Change)... Buildings Up to 250m and Over 50 Floors

Official Announcement of the Long-Awaited Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District Decision
Four Redevelopment Zones Covering 160,000 Pyeong around 72-10 Seongsu-dong 1-ga
A Total of 55 Apartment Buildings and 9,428 Households, Including 2,004 Rental Units, to Be Built
Super High-Rise Landmark Building up to 250m, Basic Height Around 50 Floors
Maximum Floor Area Ratio of 500% for Quasi-Residential Areas
Creation of Multi-Level Decks within the Complex and a Waterfront Cultural Park Covering Gangbyeonbuk-ro

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced on March 27 that the district unit plan (maintenance plan) decision (change) for the long-awaited ‘Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District’ has been officially announced.

With the official announcement of this maintenance plan decision, redevelopment is expected to be actively promoted, transforming the area into a premier residential complex along the Han River, representing Seoul’s culture and waterfront enjoyment, generating great anticipation.

The ‘Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District’ consists of four zones around Seongsu-dong 1-ga 72-10, covering a total site area of 160,000 pyeong, with a large-scale redevelopment maintenance project area that will include 55 buildings and 9,428 households (including 2,004 rental housing units) of apartment complexes.

This maintenance plan includes a super high-rise building up to 250m (landmark building), allowing construction of buildings with a basic height of 50 floors or more. The floor area ratio is set at a maximum of 500% for quasi-residential areas and 300% for other areas. Two linear parks connecting the Han River and Seoul Forest, a multi-level deck within the complex, and a waterfront cultural park will be created, establishing an optimal residential environment where culture and nature harmonize.

Previously, in April 2009, Seoul City designated the project site as a district unit planning area to reorganize the spatial structure of the Han River, create attractive waterfront spaces, and secure the public nature of the Han River.

In April 2011, the housing redevelopment maintenance district was designated and announced, establishing a groundbreaking plan at the time by allowing a maximum building height of up to 50 floors for the first time in the maintenance plan, raising expectations for super high-rise development.

However, the project faced obstacles when the ‘2030 Seoul Urban Basic Plan’ established by Seoul City in 2014 limited the maximum height in general residential areas to 35 floors. Especially, since large-scale infrastructure requiring simultaneous redevelopment in all four zones was necessary, the high burden rate and height restrictions led to prolonged project delays.

In response, the district office took the lead in promoting regulatory relaxation and swift changes to the maintenance plan through close cooperation with Seoul City. They continuously appealed to Seoul City about the unfairness of the urban basic plan and the difficulties faced by the redevelopment association, resolving obstacles to project promotion while continuing consultations and coordination to ensure smooth progress of the housing redevelopment project.

Specifically, a ‘Seongsu Strategic Integrated Council’ was formed and operated, including Seoul City, Seongdong-gu Office, and redevelopment associations of zones 1 to 4, to gather opinions from the associations and work on preparing a feasible maintenance plan draft. Based on the opinions from the council, continuous discussions on maintenance plan changes were held with Seoul City.

Finally, in June 2023, Seoul City prepared a district unit plan amendment allowing project promotion by each of the four zones. Subsequently, on November 25, 2024, the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee approved allowing a maximum building height of up to 250m for the main buildings, enabling plans for much taller buildings compared to the previous 50 floors. This secured momentum for project promotion, with each association planning buildings of 60 floors or more.

Additionally, the district office conducted resident inspection procedures by zone to expedite the initiation process for the maintenance plan decision of the Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District. Before March last year, resident inspections and district council opinion hearings for the district unit plan decisions of zones 1 and 2 were completed, followed by zone 4 in August and the final zone 3 in October.

Through this maintenance plan, the Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District will include not only apartment complexes but also various cultural convenience facilities.

Notably, a multi-level deck will be created within the complex for everyone to enjoy various activities such as culture, relaxation, and views, and a waterfront cultural park covering Gangbyeonbuk-ro will be established. The waterfront cultural park covering Gangbyeonbuk-ro will be 960m long and cover an area of 39,955㎡. It will overcome height differences with the Han River through pedestrian connection decks and Han River pedestrian connection bridges, enhancing pedestrian accessibility to the Han River for the general public and is expected to become a new sunset attraction.

Underneath the waterfront cultural park, a two-story parking lot covering 56,198㎡ will be constructed, significantly improving parking difficulties for citizens visiting the Han River. Additionally, based on the Seongsu-ro axis connecting Seongsu Station to the Han River, a three-story water culture facility with a total floor area of about 10,000㎡ will be built, becoming a new landmark along the Han River.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “As this has been a long-standing wish of Seongdong-gu for the past 15 years, the official announcement of the ‘Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District’ decision marks a meaningful milestone as it lays the foundation for the area to grow into a hub for residence, culture, and business.” He added, “We will spare no administrative support to develop it into a high-quality premium residential complex that meets residents’ expectations and leads mutual development in the Seongsu-dong area.”