Uijeongbu Marks One Year Since Attracting LH Gyeonggi Northern Headquarters
A Strategic Leap Toward Becoming a Business-Oriented City
Public Institution Move-In Signals Rebound for Local Economy and Commerce
Building Urban Strategies Together with Citizens After LH’s Arrival
Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Donggeun) has been accelerating its leap toward becoming a business-oriented city since June of last year, when the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters settled into its new office building within the Yonghyunsandan Industrial Complex. The city believes that a business ecosystem where the public and private sectors invest and operate together is essential for sustainable urban growth, job creation, attracting young people, and increasing the resident population.
Mayor Donggeun Kim is communicating with LH employees and local residents while walking along the Yonghyunsandan trail during the "Path of Communication Together" event commemorating the 1st anniversary of LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters moving into the Uijeongbu office building on the 24th. Provided by Uijeongbu City
According to Uijeongbu City on the 25th, the relocation of the LH headquarters was the first of five corporate attraction projects promoted by the 8th popularly elected city administration to be realized. It is the first tangible achievement where a company has not only signed an agreement but has actually settled in the region. This marks a symbolic turning point that has simultaneously driven both the expansion and internal strengthening of the city, serving as a starting point for gauging the future direction of the business city strategy.
Uijeongbu's Winning Move Amid Fierce Competition: Attracting LH
In January 2023, when LH announced an organizational restructuring separating the northern and southern Gyeonggi regions and the establishment of the Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters, the city immediately began efforts to attract the headquarters. Uijeongbu, as the administrative and transportation hub of northern Gyeonggi and the geographic and policy center among the cities and counties under LH's jurisdiction, emphasized its suitability as the optimal location and launched a full-scale campaign to attract the headquarters.
In particular, after identifying an existing building within Yonghyunsandan Industrial Complex as a candidate for the new headquarters, the city prepared a proposal for LH highlighting the location's transportation, residential, and educational infrastructure. Uijeongbu then made several direct visits to the Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters to listen to practical requirements such as location conditions, office space specifications, and employee needs, engaging in detailed negotiations. The city also organized site tours and briefing sessions for LH executives and staff to provide opportunities to inspect the candidate site and simultaneously review the actual working environment.
Ultimately, in April 2023, the city signed a "business agreement for the relocation of the Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters and the establishment of a win-win cooperation system" with LH, successfully finalizing the attraction. LH selected the current office building as the final location after a comprehensive evaluation of administrative accessibility, employee preferences, and connectivity to the metropolitan transportation network.
This is regarded as a representative example of Uijeongbu City, which has adopted "business city transformation" as its core strategy, achieving tangible results through practical, field-oriented administration.
One Year After LH's Move-In: Positive Signals for Local Commerce and Urban Vitality
Currently, the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters oversees residential welfare projects in a total of 13 cities and counties, including 10 in northern Gyeonggi as well as Gimpo, Hanam, and Yangpyeong. Of the approximately 840 total staff, around 300 are stationed at the Uijeongbu office.
This year alone, LH's project budget for northern Gyeonggi amounts to 5 trillion won, demonstrating the scale of this giant organization, which oversees large-scale development projects such as the third phase new towns in the Seoul metropolitan area, housing supply, and land compensation. The relocation of the headquarters has established Uijeongbu as the central axis of urban policy in northern Gyeonggi.
Scenes from the relocation ceremony of the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters building in June 2024. Provided by Uijeongbu City
In particular, since the headquarters moved into the Yonghyunsandan Industrial Complex, the surrounding commercial district has noticeably regained vitality. The Yonghyeon-dong area, once stagnant due to the closure of a large supermarket and the impact of COVID-19, has seen an increase in foot traffic, especially among office workers during lunchtime, which has led to higher sales for self-employed business owners and additional hiring.
On the first floor of the office building, material evaluation events and civil counseling sessions are held regularly, and as visits from headquarters guests and partner companies have become more frequent, the local commercial district is gradually recovering.
Additionally, housing demand and commercial activity in the Minlak and Gosan districts are gaining momentum due to expectations surrounding LH projects, and inquiries from related companies about moving in continue to be steady.
Although direct figures are still being compiled, the city is confident in this positive trend, noting that attracting a public institution is eliciting a tangible response in the urban economy. The formula "attracting businesses revitalizes the region" is proving true in reality.
Business City Strategy in Full Swing... Urban Structure Reorganization Through LH Collaboration
With the attraction of the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters, the city is now concretizing its business city policies. In addition to LH, four other companies?Cloud Data Center, BioGenSolution, Uijeongbu Nonghyup, and CGBio?have been successfully attracted, and Uijeongbu Urban Corporation has been established, enabling the city to directly participate in large-scale in-house development projects.
This approach is creating a virtuous cycle that returns development profits to citizens, simultaneously driving both improved residential welfare and revitalization of the local economy.
In particular, the city is gradually implementing region-specific housing and welfare policies in collaboration with the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters, including the Gosan Childcare Facility Cluster pilot project, Nokyang Ujeong public housing district development, Yonghyeon public housing district development, and Uijeongbu Legal Town public housing district development.
Among these, the Yonghyeon public housing district is a key project for the city. Uijeongbu plans to secure land for self-sufficiency facilities on 10 to 20 percent of the total area to strengthen the city's self-sustaining functions.
This is not simply a housing supply project, but a complex urban development model where businesses, jobs, and living infrastructure are created together. It also lays the foundation for realizing a city where people can work, enjoy life, and learn where they live?an "energy self-sufficient city of work-life-leisure-learning (jikjurak-hak)."
In addition, the Uijeongbu Legal Town, which will be established using national land in the Gosan-dong area, is a project to reorganize judicial infrastructure in the northern region, including the relocation of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office and District Court. Through its connection with the nearby Complex Cultural Convergence District, it is expected to become the central axis of the eastern region.
As these practical projects continue to move forward, the business city strategy, starting with the attraction of LH, is accelerating the pace of regional development.
A Citizen-Participatory Business City Built on Communication and Trust
The city is expanding the attraction of public institutions beyond a mere administrative achievement, fostering trust and communication with the local community. On June 24, the city held the "Path of Communication Together" field event to commemorate the first anniversary of the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters moving into the Uijeongbu office building.
Mayor Kim Donggeun, along with 16 others including LH employees and local residents, walked the Yonghyunsandan trail together, exchanging opinions on local issues and sharing perceptions of changes in the living environment and commercial district.
This event was designed not just to list the achievements of attracting LH, but to provide a venue where the local community and public institutions could build relationships on site and discuss a shared future. Through such touchpoints, the city is clarifying how attracting businesses connects to citizens' lives and is building a foundation for cooperation.
Going forward, the city plans to expand strategic collaboration with various stakeholders, including private companies, public institutions, and research organizations, based on its partnership with the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters. In particular, Uijeongbu will accelerate efforts to realize a "business city" where companies settle, citizens feel the benefits, and the region grows together.
Mayor Kim Donggeun stated, "Attracting the LH Gyeonggi Northern Regional Headquarters was not simply the relocation of a public institution, but a symbolic turning point for Uijeongbu's transformation into a business city. Going forward, we will focus all administrative capabilities on building an urban ecosystem where citizens, administration, public institutions, and the private sector grow together, and on establishing Uijeongbu as the central axis of balanced development in northern Gyeonggi."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
