3800 Households Including Mirinaejip Established in Gangnam Unauthorized Shantytown 'Guryong Village'

Winning Design for Guryong Village Unveiled
3,800 Households Including Mirinae Jip to Be Built
Parks, Green Spaces, Medical, Research, and Educational Facilities Also Planned

About 3,800 households, including Mirinae Jip, will be established in Guryong Village, Gaepo-dong, the last unauthorized shantytown in Gangnam, Seoul. The plan is to demolish vacant houses in the second half of this year and complete relocation within the year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to create a nature-friendly residential complex where various generations such as youth and seniors coexist.

Perspective view of the winning design for Guryong Village. Provided by SH Corporation

Design Competition Winning Proposal Unveiled... Target Completion in 2029

On the 31st, Seoul announced the winning design proposal for the Guryong Village urban development project and stated that it will accelerate the project. The plan is to obtain project approval in 2026, start construction thereafter, and complete it by 2029.

Guryong Village is an illegal unauthorized shantytown formed by marginalized residents such as displaced people who moved in during the development of the Gangnam area in the 1970s and 1980s. The opening of Yangjae-daero in 1989 intensified the physical separation between Guryong Village and surrounding areas, further worsening living conditions.

After being designated as an urban development zone for the first time in August 2012, the project faced difficulties including changes in development methods. Following re-designation as an urban development zone in 2016 and selection of the project implementer, full-scale development began. The city and SH Corporation have been recovering development profits for the public to block speculative forces and promote public-led development.

The winning design proposal is "Lemon City" by the DA Group Engineering Consortium (Haenglim Comprehensive Architecture Office, Nara Technology Group). It proposes developing into an 'autoimmune city' where nature, city, and people are organically connected and coexist. The winning company will receive the basic and detailed design rights for public housing. The design fee is approximately 15.4 billion KRW, and the design period is 24 months.

Development Plan Changed to Total 3,800 Households

Seoul and SH Corporation plan to build 3,804 apartment units in Guryong Village. Among them, they are considering supplying more than 600 units as long-term lease housing 2 'Mirinae Jip' for newlyweds.

The city plans to change the development plan reflecting the land use plan contained in the winning design proposal. In May last year, the city changed the development plan, easing regulations such as increasing the floor area ratio, raising the number of households from 2,838 to 3,520. It consists of 1,107 rental housing units for existing residents and long-term lease and public sale units.

The city plans to develop Guryong Village as a nature-friendly residential complex where youth, newlyweds, and the elderly coexist. The concept is a high-quality nature-friendly village harmonizing with natural environments such as Daemosan and Guryongsan mountains while equipped with various convenience facilities. Parks, green spaces, medical, research, and educational facilities will be introduced into the residential complex. Infrastructure such as one elementary school, neighborhood parks, and small parks will also be established within the area.

Based on the winning proposal, the city will proceed with changes to the development plan through reviews by the Urban Planning Committee and consultations with related agencies.

Demolition to Begin in the Second Half of This Year

The Guryong Village urban development project is estimated to require about 1 trillion KRW in compensation costs. The negotiation and compensation process with land and property owners is in its final stages. Among the currently residing households, 736 households (66.5%) have completed relocation, and relocation is being encouraged for the remaining 371 households (206 actual residents).

The city plans to complete the compensation procedures currently in the expropriation decision process by the first half of this year and start partial demolition of vacant houses in the second half. The expropriation decision refers to the process of determining compensation amounts under the Land Compensation Act when compensation negotiations between landowners and project implementers fail.

To stabilize the living conditions of residents facing difficulties in Guryong Village and facilitate swift relocation, the city has implemented measures such as full exemption of rental deposit and expanded rent reduction rates for temporary relocation applicants. Except for individual relocating households, the remaining 626 households have moved to nearby Happy Housing in Guryong Village.

Kim Chang-gyu, Head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Balanced Development Headquarters, said, "Guryong Village is a long-delayed development project with deteriorating living conditions and frequent disasters exposing residents to risks, making it a long-standing project for Seoul that requires rapid progress. We will strive to promptly carry out related procedures such as compensation and relocation to sufficiently supply high-quality housing units as soon as possible, thereby creating a high-quality residential environment equipped with housing, green spaces, and educational facilities in the area."