Yongsan District Unit Planning Zone Divided into Six Areas... Hangang-daero Height Limit Eased to 120m [Real Estate AtoZ]

Seoul’s Largest District Unit Planning Zone
Six Areas Including Seoul Station, Namyeong Station, Samgakji, East Hangang-ro, Yongsan Station, and Yongsan Electronics Market
Plans Tailored to the Unique Characteristics of Each Area

The Yongsan District Unit Planning Zone will be divided into six areas. The maximum building height along Hangang-daero, which stretches from Seoul Station to Hangang Bridge, will be eased to 120 meters (approximately 30 stories).

Location map of Yongsan District Unit Planning Zone. Provided by Seoul City

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 13th that the 18th Urban and Architecture Joint Committee, held the previous day, had approved with amendments the “Yongsan District Unit Planning Zone and Planning Decision (Amendment) (Draft).”

The Yongsan District Unit Planning Zone, which has been managed as the largest district unit planning area in Seoul’s urban area with a size of 3.3 to 3.5 million square meters since its initial designation in 1995, will now be divided into six areas tailored to local characteristics. This division takes into account the fact that the previous scale was excessively large and required a long period for planning adjustments to reflect changing conditions.

The six areas are as follows: Seoul Station Area (710,000 square meters), Namyeong Station Area (360,000 square meters), Samgakji Area (730,000 square meters), East Hangang-ro (400,000 square meters), Yongsan Station Area (1.05 million square meters), and Yongsan Electronics Market (120,000 square meters).

The Seoul Station Area will be redeveloped as a gateway of international significance, with strengthened pedestrian green networks connecting to Namsan. The Namyeong Station Area will be developed as a business corridor along Hangang-daero, linking central Seoul and Yongsan. The Samgakji Area will undergo urban renewal that reflects its adjacency to Yongsan Park and its characteristic mid- and low-rise buildings.

The Yongsan Station Area will be established as a new central hub for Seoul, driving the city’s growth through international business functions. East Hangang-ro will be developed as a residential, business, and green space connecting the Yongsan Center and Yongsan Park. The Yongsan Electronics Market will be transformed into a hub for future high-tech industries such as AI and ICT.

Yongsan District Unit Planning Zone Bird's-Eye View. Provided by Seoul City

The Hangang-daero area, which is planned as a national symbolic boulevard connecting Gwanghwamun, Seoul Station, Yongsan, and the Han River, will have its maximum building height relaxed from 100 meters to 120 meters. Further height relaxations will be considered depending on business plans and local characteristics. In addition, regulations will be eased, such as the complete removal of the joint development designation plan, which has previously led to civil complaints.

The number of special planning zones designated for large-scale development will increase from 59 to 68. Nine new special planning zones, including the Yongsan Electronics Market area, will be newly designated to promote strategic development. With these new designations, there will be a total of 11 special planning zones in this area. Of the 11 special planning zones in the Yongsan Electronics Market area, projects such as detailed development plans are already underway in eight zones.

Two special planning zones, including the area around Yongsan Post Office, will be lifted in consideration of residents’ opinions, and individual plot development will be permitted. The area around Yongsan Post Office, revitalized as “Yongridan-gil,” will be encouraged to pursue small- and medium-scale development appropriate to local characteristics.

Cho Namjun, Director General of the Urban Space Headquarters of Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, “With this planning decision, the Yongsan metropolitan center, a national symbolic hub, will further strengthen its status as a future city center, and we expect that efficient reorganization of the zones will enable faster urban administration in the future.”