From Gangnam, Bundang, Pangyo, and Dongtan to Osan: Expansion of the Affluent Gyeongbu Axis in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
The "Bukosan Xi Riverble City" in a prime Osan location near the Gyeongbu Expressway set for regular contract signing
In the Seoul metropolitan real estate market, the Gyeongbu Expressway is commonly referred to as the "Golden Road" and is regarded as the driving force behind the emergence of some of the most affluent residential areas in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The Gyeongbu Expressway served as a catalyst in shifting Seoul's central axis from Gangbuk to Gangnam, which in turn enabled core high-end neighborhoods in the Gangnam area, including Banpo and Apgujeong, to take root.
Furthermore, the Gyeongbu Expressway has evolved from being the backbone of the nation's logistics network to becoming a core pillar of the Korean economy. It connects Seoul's Gangnam area, the southern Gyeonggi region where high-tech industries such as semiconductors and IT are clustered, the administrative hubs of Daejeon and Sejong, and Busan, a key base for port logistics.
On the back of this, development fever spread into Gyeonggi Province, creating symbolic residential districts in the southern metropolitan area such as Bundang and Pangyo, and in just a few years elevating Dongtan New Town as a new representative city of southern Gyeonggi. This development momentum has naturally moved further south to reach Osan, solidifying the southern metropolitan area as a strong growth axis.
Along with this trend, the range of affluent neighborhoods along the Gyeongbu axis continues to expand and their value keeps rising, supported by a rich job base offering close proximity between work and home, as well as excellent transportation infrastructure. According to Real Estate R114, over the past five years from October 2020 to October 2025, apartment prices in major metropolitan areas near the Gyeongbu Expressway have recorded sharp increases: Seocho District in Seoul (52%), Gangnam District (44%), Bundang District in Seongnam (34%), Suji District in Yongin (21%), Giheung District (22%), Hwaseong City (14%), and Osan City (23%).
In particular, the government has announced through its No. 1 pledge for Gyeonggi Province that it plans to invest a total of 622 trillion won by 2047 to foster southern Gyeonggi as a semiconductor industry hub. In line with this, Samsung Electronics is investing about 500 trillion won and SK hynix 122 trillion won to establish new business sites. As a result, the expansion of affluent neighborhoods along the Gyeongbu Expressway is expected to accelerate further.
Among these areas, Osan City is drawing the most attention. The Gyeongbu Expressway runs along its eastern side, while the Second Ring Expressway of the Seoul Metropolitan Area crosses its northern part, giving it excellent intercity accessibility. In addition, the Gyeongbu Line and Subway Line 1 pass through the area, and several new railway lines are planned, including the extension of the Suin-Bundang Line to Osandae Station (planned) and the Dongtan Urban Railway (tram, planned). A plan is also underway to extend the GTX-C metropolitan express railway line to Osan, which is expected to make the transportation environment even more convenient going forward.
Moreover, Osan is a beneficiary region of the southern Gyeonggi semiconductor mega-cluster development project, located on the central axis of the Samsung Electronics semiconductor triangle connecting Giheung, Hwaseong, and Pyeongtaek. The AMAT Osan R&D Center of the global semiconductor equipment company Applied Materials is located here, and the Jigot General Industrial Complex is also scheduled to be established to attract advanced semiconductor industry companies, which is expected to further expand the underlying residential demand. In fact, in 2024 alone, the population of Osan City increased by 12,000 people, equivalent to 5.2% of the total population, and the city is now on the verge of surpassing 250,000 residents.
Keeping pace with this, multiple urban development projects are gaining speed within Osan City, including the Naesammi District, the Oesammi District, and the large-scale residential land development SeGyo District, gradually expanding the size of the city. In particular, as the supply of new apartments in Dongtan New Town approaches its final stage, attention is naturally shifting to new pre-sale complexes within Osan City.
Against this backdrop, attention is focusing on the regular contract period for "Bukosan Xi Riverble City," which GS Engineering & Construction will introduce through a multi-family housing development project in Block A1 of the district unit planning zone in Naesammi 2 District (around Naesammi-dong) in Osan City, Gyeonggi Province, from Sunday, February 8 to Tuesday, February 10.
Bukosan Xi Riverble City will be developed as a large-scale complex of 1,275 households in 10 buildings with 2 basement levels and 29 above-ground floors, offering exclusively residential areas ranging from 59 to 127 square meters. Together with the 1,517 multi-family housing units that GS Engineering & Construction plans to supply in the future, it is expected to form a mini-new-town-scale Xi brand town with a total of 2,792 households.
In particular, Naesammi 2 District, where the complex will be built, is the closest area to the Bukosan Interchange on the Second Ring Expressway of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, which connects Osan with key areas of the metropolitan region, making it one of the most preferred residential locations even within Osan. From here, residents can quickly reach major metropolitan areas such as Seoul, Suwon, and Yongin via the Bukosan Interchange on the Second Ring Expressway of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and access to the Gyeongbu Expressway is also convenient.
The complex also offers a convenient living environment that allows residents to enjoy the infrastructure of both Dongtan New Town and Osan City. By car, it takes about five minutes to enter Dongtan New Town, providing easy access to facilities such as Lotte Department Store Dongtan, Traders Wholesale Club Dongtan, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, and the Dongtan private education district, where numerous academies are concentrated. Residents can also easily visit infrastructure within Osan City, including Emart Osan, Lotte Mart Osan, and CGV Osan Jungang.
The public transportation network is another strong point. Residents can conveniently use Osandae Station on Subway Line 1 of the Seoul metropolitan area. In addition, several new railway lines are planned, including the extension of the Suin-Bundang Line to Osandae Station (planned) and the Dongtan Urban Railway (tram, planned), and a plan is underway to extend the GTX-C metropolitan express railway line to Osan.
The differentiated product competitiveness offered by Xi, one of Korea's leading residential brands, is also a major advantage. The complex is mainly designed with south-east and south-west facing plate-type layouts that provide excellent natural lighting and ventilation, while securing wide spacing between buildings to maximize residents' privacy, daylight, and views. It will also provide generous parking space of 1.5 vehicles per household. Depending on the housing type, various storage spaces such as dressing rooms, pantries, alpha rooms, and beta rooms are provided to enhance spatial efficiency.
The Xi-exclusive themed community facility "Club Xi-an" is also noteworthy. Club Xi-an will feature various exercise facilities such as a golf practice range equipped with GDR, a fitness center, a Pilates studio, and a GX room, as well as amenities tailored to residents' lifestyles, including a sauna, a small library, a study room, and a guest house. To enrich residents' leisure time, a Kyobo Book Centre book curation service will be introduced, and a cafeteria embodying the sensibility of a well-known brand will also be provided. In addition, a tea house with a lounge and a large-scale park within the complex with specialized landscaping will be created.
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