Seongdong-gu Completes Seongsu-dong 'Convergence Industry Innovation District'... Area Expanded Fourfold

Cultural Content Industry Officially Included
Five Years of Administrative Efforts Bear Fruit

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (headed by Mayor Jeong Won-oh), announced on January 25 that it has established the institutional foundation to transform the Seongsu-dong area into South Korea's leading convergence industry innovation district. On January 21, the Seoul Metropolitan Urban Planning Committee approved the original proposal for the “Seongsu IT, Cultural Contents Industry, and Distribution Development Promotion District (Amendment).”

Location map of Seongsu IT, Cultural Contents Industry, and Distribution Development Promotion District. Provided by Seongdong-gu.

With this decision, the area of the promotion district has been expanded nearly fourfold, from the previous 539,406 square meters to 2,051,234 square meters. Seongdong-gu has officially included cultural content industries such as design, media, and fashion in addition to the previously recommended IT and R&D-focused industries. Companies moving into the district will receive benefits such as relaxed floor area ratio and building coverage ratio regulations.

Since launching the “Seongsu District Expansion and Revitalization Study” in 2021, Seongdong-gu has held consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and related agencies for five years. From 2024, the district has promoted administrative procedures such as strategic environmental impact assessments and urban management plan amendments, successfully persuading the city.

Seongdong-gu has curbed steep rent increases with the nation’s first anti-gentrification ordinance and has enhanced the urban landscape through the preservation of red brick buildings. The district has also established public infrastructure such as Seongdong Safe Stores, the Youth Startup Yirum Center, and the shared office “Success Space.” The annual “Creative Seongsu” festival has become a celebration where the cultural content industry-including fashion, music, and gaming-comes together with local residents. Recently, unicorn companies and cultural enterprises such as Musinsa, Krafton, and SM Entertainment have been gathering in Seongsu-dong.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “The transformation of Seongsu-dong is not a coincidence but the result of long-term administrative efforts by Seongdong-gu, ranging from anti-gentrification measures to urban regeneration and industrial policy. We will continue to develop Seongsu-dong not as a temporary ‘hot place,’ but as a global hub for convergence industries where people, businesses, and culture can grow together.”

At the 'Creative X Seongsu' event, the 'Fashion Seongsu' is being held. Provided by Seongdong-gu.