First Quasi-Industrial Zone in Seoul to Benefit from Relaxed FAR Regulations: Samhwan Dobong Apartment Achieves 343% FAR

Samhwan Dobong Apartment Reconstruction Zone Designation Approved by Seoul City Review
First Case of Relaxed Floor Area Ratio for Quasi-Industrial Zones
Up to 42 Stories, Total of 993 Units... Legal FAR Raised from 250% to 400%
District's Persistent Requests to Ministry of Land... About 1.5 Years from Application to Approval
Significant Role of Dobong District Maintenance Project Rapid Support Team

Bird's-Eye View of the Samhwan Dobong Apartment Redevelopment Plan

The Dobong District of Seoul (District Mayor Oh Eon-seok) has become the first case in the city to apply the 'relaxation of floor area ratio (FAR) regulations for quasi-industrial zones.'

The district announced that, at the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee's delegated subcommittee meeting held on May 21, the 'Samhwan Dobong Apartment Reconstruction Project Maintenance Plan Decision and Maintenance Area Designation (Draft)' was approved with amendments.

As a result, the Samhwan Dobong Apartment complex will be constructed with a maximum height of 42 stories and a total of 993 units. The floor area ratio applied will be 343.49%.

The Samhwan Dobong Apartment case is expected to serve as a positive signal for the development of other quasi-industrial zones in Seoul.

A district official explained, "This is a new model that can promote the redevelopment of aging quasi-industrial zones and help address the problem of insufficient housing supply."

The relaxation of the floor area ratio was a decisive factor in significantly improving the business feasibility of the Samhwan Dobong Apartment reconstruction project.

Previously, the district made considerable efforts to relax the FAR for Samhwan Dobong Apartment. The initial starting point was a FAR of 250%.

Due to the low FAR, in July 2022, the district made an official request to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to allow for the relaxation of the FAR in quasi-industrial zones. The district also sought a meeting with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

As a result of these efforts, in January 2024, the Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Act was revised, allowing the FAR to be relaxed up to 300%. Subsequently, in September 2024, the Seoul City Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Master Plan was also amended, making it possible to increase the FAR up to 400%.

After the business feasibility improved, the district began to accelerate the project. Simultaneously with the amendment and enforcement of the law, the district applied for Seoul City's expedited integrated planning, quickly completing the advisory process, the legally required resident review, resident briefing sessions, and the collection of opinions from the district council. As a result, the project passed the review by the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee in about a year and a half.

The rapid approval was largely due to the role of the 'Dobong District Maintenance Project Rapid Support Team' operated by the district. The support team is composed of experts in various fields, including architectural planning, maintenance planning, and construction, and is deployed as needed to support residents during the promotion of maintenance projects.

In the case of the Samhwan Dobong Apartment project, as soon as the application for the expedited integrated planning advisory project was submitted, the district immediately held a 'Dobong District Maintenance Plan Advisory Meeting' composed of six members from the rapid support team to conduct a preliminary review at the district level. This strategy was intended to identify and address potential issues in advance, thereby shortening the time required for the designation of the maintenance area before the project was submitted to the Seoul City expedited integrated planning advisory meeting.

Oh Eon-seok, Mayor of Dobong District, stated, "I expect that the case of Samhwan Dobong Apartment will have a positive impact on the promotion of maintenance projects in other quasi-industrial zones," adding, "We will work to successfully implement the project and make it a model example for others."

Samhwan Dobong Apartment Exterior View