Feasibility Study Underway for Project and Site Review
Project Accelerates After Passing Central Investment Review
Final Plan to Be Established Through Design Competition Within This Year
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is accelerating the construction of the Yeouido 2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. It has been confirmed that immediately after passing the government investment review earlier this month, the city began a feasibility study on the project and its location to establish detailed plans. Design work is also scheduled to proceed within this year, and the center could be unveiled as early as 2030.
According to the maintenance industry on the 25th, the city has recently launched a "strategic environmental impact assessment" for the construction of the 2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. A strategic environmental impact assessment is conducted when establishing higher-level plans such as development projects that affect the environment, in order to review their appropriateness and formulate business plans.
The 2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is part of the "Great Hangang" project announced by Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon in 2023. The main idea is to build a multi-purpose cultural space, the 2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in Yeouido Park, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
The original project site was Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo. At the time, in 2019, then-Mayor Park Wonsoon of Seoul selected the former Banglim Textile site in Mullae-dong, and by 2021, had completed both the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s central investment review and the approval of the city and district councils.
However, the project was delayed due to differing positions between the district government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government regarding the use of the site. The Yeongdeungpo District Office maintained that, as the site was owned by the district, it could not be provided for the city’s semi-permanent free use. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also cited the size of the site and other factors as reasons for changing the location to Yeouido Park in 2023. During this process, the National Assembly even called for an audit of the city’s decision to change the site, claiming that Mayor Oh was attempting to erase the legacy of former Mayor Park.
Fortunately, the project passed the government investment review. For new investment projects with a total project cost of over 30 billion won, the central investment review of local finances by the government is required to prevent redundant investments. The planned budget for the construction of the 2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts exceeds 600 billion won. Last year, the project received a "reconsideration" verdict in the review, but in the "2025 1st Central Investment Review for Local Finances" held on April 8, it conditionally passed the threshold.
According to the current plan, the 2nd Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will be built on a total area of 229,539 square meters at the end of Yeouido Park toward Mapo Bridge, and will include a large performance hall with 2,000 seats and a medium-sized theater with 800 seats, among other facilities.
The design competition has already been completed. Through the planning and design competition held in 2023, a total of five entries were selected as winners. The selected works were submitted by: Park Hyungil (BAUM Architects), Oh Hogun (Designcamp Moonpark DMP), Jung Younggyun (Heerim Architects & Planners), Patrik Schumacher (Zaha Hadid Architects), and Jean Pierre Durig (DURIG AG). The judging prioritized the required functions and areas, including the large performance hall and other cultural facilities, visitor facilities for global tourists, and an underground parking lot for user convenience.
While conducting the strategic environmental impact assessment, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will also hold a designated design competition among the five selected entries. The final business plan will be established through consultations with various experts and by gathering public opinion. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. The center is scheduled for completion in 2030, after which it will undergo facility inspections, trial operations, and operator selection before officially opening to the public.
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