"Worries Over Slum-like Conditions"... Why Residents Are Unhappy Despite 5,000-Unit Eunma Apartment Reconstruction

FAR Amendment Briefing Held
Residents Unhappy About Increase in Rental Units
Sinkhole Concerns Raised Over GTX-C Line

"The floor area ratio has only increased by 20 percentage points, but the number of public housing units has risen dramatically. We're concerned the complex might become slum-like."

At the residents' briefing session on the 'Eunma Apartment Reconstruction Maintenance Plan Amendment (Draft)' held at the Grand Hill Convention in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on April 30, some residents voiced such complaints. Resident A, who lives in Eunma Apartment, expressed concerns that the number of public housing units, which was originally planned to be 678, has now increased to 1,013, calling it "excessive."

The view of Eunma Apartment area in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Asia Economy DB

FAR Raised to 320%... Residents Unhappy with Increased Public Housing Allocation

Located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Eunma Apartment is pursuing a massive reconstruction project, planning to build 5,962 units in buildings ranging from four basement floors to a maximum of 49 above-ground floors. Previously, the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee approved a reconstruction plan with a 300% floor area ratio (FAR) in 2022, but an amendment is now being pursued to increase the FAR to 320% by utilizing transit-oriented development incentives. As a result, the maximum number of floors will rise from 35 to 49, and the number of units will increase from 5,778 to 5,962, adding 184 units.

However, residents expressed dissatisfaction with the increased scale of public contributions that comes with the higher FAR, arguing that the actual benefits to residents are minimal. The latest amendment, reflecting Seoul City's requirements, also includes the installation of a rainwater retention basin as a public contribution facility within the complex. The previous plan had included a neighborhood park and a public daycare center within the complex.

Resident B protested, saying, "The plan to build a public daycare center has disappeared, and now the cooperative members have to create a retention basin. Moreover, the total number of units has not increased significantly compared to the original plan based on a 300% FAR. In reality, if you exclude public contributions, the portion for residents is only 308% out of the total 320% FAR."

In response, a representative from ANU Design Group, the architectural firm responsible for drawing up the maintenance plan, explained, "The increase in public rental housing units is mainly because, at Seoul City's request, about 50 units of 84-square-meter public rental apartments were changed to 59-square-meter units, which led to a slight increase. There was also an increase due to the need to provide additional public contributions as a result of the FAR incentive."

On the 30th, a residents' briefing session on the 'Eunma Apartment Reconstruction Maintenance Plan Amendment (Draft)' was held at the Grand Hill Convention in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Lee Ji-eun

"Sinkhole Concerns"... Residents Worry About GTX-C Line Construction

At the briefing session, the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX)-C line was also a key issue. The Eunma Apartment cooperative had previously clashed with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the contractor Hyundai Engineering & Construction over a design that would have the GTX-C line pass 50 meters beneath the apartment complex, citing safety concerns. Although the cooperative requested a route diversion, the conflict was resolved when Hyundai Engineering & Construction proposed a plan to minimize the line's passage through the complex.

However, residents continued to express concerns about the GTX-C line. Resident C said, "Recently, there have been frequent sinkhole incidents in the city, so we are very worried about the underground construction. We want a 100% guarantee of safety."

Resident D also emphasized, "We have many complaints about why the GTX-C line must pass underneath (Eunma Apartment) for the sake of the nation and Gyeonggi Province. Please minimize the line's passage through the complex."

In addition, there were calls to grant occupancy rights to commercial cooperative members and to control vehicle speeds on mixed pedestrian and vehicle pathways within the complex.

Hampered by Government and Seoul City Regulations... Full-Scale Progress After Cooperative Formation

The cooperative plans to obtain project implementation approval within the year, following an integrated review of the new plan under the Simultaneous Planning System. If reconstruction is realized, Eunma Apartment is expected to be reborn as a large-scale complex boasting proximity to Daechi-dong's academy district and immediate access to Subway Line 3. The apartment was completed in 1979, and although reconstruction efforts began in 1996, it took 27 years to establish the cooperative.

During that time, Eunma Apartment's reconstruction project stalled repeatedly due to government and Seoul City regulations. The project failed the preliminary safety inspection, the first step in reconstruction, three times before finally passing in March 2010. In 2017, a plan to build up to 49 floors was submitted to the Urban Planning Committee, but former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon introduced a 35-floor height limit, resulting in repeated rejections. Subsequently, residents were split between those supporting reconstruction at 35 floors and those opposed, leading to a series of group lawsuits among residents.

The long-stalled project finally gained momentum in 2023 when approval was granted for the formation of the cooperative. Gangnam-gu Office expects that it will take at least two more years to obtain management and disposal approval. At the residents' briefing session, a Gangnam-gu Office official stated, "As the authority responsible for the project, we will do our best to coordinate smoothly with Seoul City so that the project can proceed as quickly as possible."