Pungnap Miseong Apartment Reborn as 413 Units: "Overcoming Cultural Heritage Regulations to Expand Housing Supply" [Real Estate AtoZ]

Bird's-eye view of the reconstruction project for Pungnap Miseong Apartment in Songpa-gu. Seoul City

The 40-year-old Pungnap Miseong Apartment complex, located near Pungnap Earthen Fortress in Songpa-gu, Seoul, will be reborn as a 413-unit residential complex with views of the Han River.

On December 7, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the 12th Urban Planning Committee's Rapid Integrated Planning Subcommittee had approved, with modifications, the designation of the Pungnap Miseong Apartment redevelopment area and the corresponding redevelopment plan.

This area is a historical and cultural preservation zone near Pungnap Earthen Fortress. From March to July of last year, the project underwent five rounds of cultural heritage reviews by the National Heritage Administration and received conditional approval on July 15. The approval was granted on the condition that an archaeological survey would be conducted and the construction plan would proceed as submitted.

Pungnap Miseong Apartment is in urgent need of improvement due to a lack of parking and building corrosion. The complex offers views of the Han River and has excellent access to public transportation, including subway stations, as well as amenities such as Pungnap Baekje Cultural Park.

Under the new plan, the floor area ratio will be capped at 250%, and the maximum building height will be 23 stories. The number of units will increase by 50%, from 275 to 413, including 31 public housing units, thereby expanding housing supply. The plan also includes converting the on-site daycare center and children's playground into open community facilities, providing diverse lifestyle benefits to local residents.

A public pedestrian pathway will be established in the center of the complex, efficiently connecting to the Han River Park underpass and enhancing accessibility. The pathway will also form a key pedestrian axis linking the Han River and major local streets. The daycare center and children's playground, as open community facilities, will be arranged along this pedestrian corridor.

Rest areas and community fitness facilities will be distributed throughout the complex, and outdated commercial spaces will be redeveloped into modern neighborhood facilities. The city also plans to widen the adjacent Pungseong-ro 4-gil and Pungseong-ro 6-gil roads to better accommodate traffic demand.

The city expects that this redevelopment, along with the ongoing planning for the nearby Pungnap Geukdong Apartment (598 units), will further accelerate housing supply in the Pungnap-dong area.

Choi Jinseok, Director of Housing at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "As this project aims to overcome cultural heritage regulations and improve the residential environment, we will actively support efforts to significantly reduce the redevelopment period, including through the implementation of a fixed processing period for redevelopment projects."

Perspective view of the Hongje 4 District Redevelopment Project in Seodaemun-gu. Seoul City

Meanwhile, the city has approved, with modifications, the housing redevelopment plan and designation of the redevelopment area for 267-1 Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, and has officially named the area the 'Hongje 4 District Housing Redevelopment Area.'

In Hongje 4 District, 88.2% of buildings are old, and 66.1% of roads are less than four meters wide, making it a hilly area with difficult pedestrian and vehicle access. The proportion of semi-basement homes is also high, at 76.4%, resulting in a vulnerable residential environment. The area was selected as a candidate for the Rapid Integrated Planning program in September 2023, and a redevelopment plan was established just four months after guidelines were set in August.

A total of 877 housing units will be created, including 185 rental units. The complex will have buildings up to 28 stories high, with tower-type structures concentrated in the center to secure a visual corridor of at least 15 meters wide within the complex, maximizing views of Inwangsan Mountain. To harmonize with surrounding apartments (15 to 20 stories), the design will feature a tent-shaped skyline, with taller buildings in the center and lower ones on the periphery.

To ensure project feasibility, the zoning for the area will be upgraded from Type 2 General Residential to Type 3 General Residential, and the floor area ratio will increase by 16.2% due to the application of a business feasibility adjustment factor in accordance with the '2030 Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Master Plan.' In addition, the width of Saemuseo-gil will be expanded from 10-12 meters to 15 meters, and the road will be widened from two lanes to three, further improving traffic conditions.