Built in 1998, Current Floor Area Ratio at 358%
Floor Area Ratio to Increase to 499%, Up to 27 Stories and 2,213 Units
Project to Proceed After District Plan and Project Approval
The remodeling project for Hangaram Apartment in Dongbu Ichon-dong has passed the Seoul city review. After remodeling, the complex will be transformed into a maximum of 27 stories with 2,213 units.
On May 15, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it had held the 8th Urban and Architecture Joint Committee meeting, where it conditionally approved, with amendments, the detailed development plan and landscape plan for Special Planning Zone 3 (Hangaram Apartment) within the district unit planning area of the Seobinggo Apartment District, located at 404 Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu.
Hangaram Apartment is located adjacent to Yongsan Park, south of Ichon Station on Subway Line 4 and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. Completed in 1998, the 26-year-old complex consists of 19 buildings with a total of 2,036 units. Due to its high floor area ratio of 358%, the project was considered unprofitable for reconstruction, so the focus shifted to remodeling. The project recently underwent a district unit plan review and landscape review.
After remodeling, Hangaram Apartment will be transformed into a complex with 2,213 units in buildings ranging from six underground to 27 above-ground floors. The number of floors will increase from the current 22 to 27, and the number of units will rise by 177. The floor area ratio will be set at 499.15%.
Remodeling projects can be initiated 15 years after completion, and the permitting process is shorter than for reconstruction. After the residents' association is established, a safety inspection must be conducted, followed by urban planning and architecture committee reviews. If the number of units increases by 30 or more, an additional project approval procedure is required. The process proceeds in the order of relocation, demolition, and then construction. For vertical extension remodeling, a second safety inspection is conducted after relocation and demolition.
After the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced measures to improve the profitability of reconstruction projects in August last year, the possibility of switching to reconstruction was considered. However, after discussion, it was decided to continue with the remodeling plan. In 2022, a consortium of GS Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering was selected as the contractor.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, "With the conditional approval of this advisory and review plan by the city's Urban and Architecture Joint Committee, the remodeling project will proceed in earnest after project approval and district unit plan processing by Yongsan-gu."
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