Nation's First Villa Management Office Program Cements Its Place as Gangbuk-gu's Signature Lifestyle Policy
Seoul's Gangbuk-gu held opening ceremonies for new villa management offices in Beon 2-dong, Ui-dong and Insu-dong from June 16 to 18, marking more than three years since the district launched the nation's first such program and cementing it as a signature lifestyle policy, the district said.
With the latest openings, the villa management office network has expanded to 10 zones covering 11 dong neighborhoods, bringing lifestyle-oriented residential management services to more than 20,000 households.
The expansion means a residential management system is now in place across virtually all of Gangbuk-gu, with the exception of Samgaksan-dong and Beon 3-dong, which are densely concentrated with apartment complexes.
The villa management office program provides hands-on residential services to small multi-unit housing complexes — including multi-family homes and row houses — that lack a dedicated management body and struggle with cleaning, facility upkeep and safety management.
About 40.7 percent of all households in Gangbuk-gu live in small multi-unit housing such as multi-family homes and row houses, and 64.8 percent of those units are more than 20 years old. To address management blind spots in low-rise residential areas and improve living conditions for residents, the district has pursued the villa management office program as a flagship initiative of its eighth elected-term administration.
The district revised relevant ordinances in 2022 to establish a regulatory foundation, then launched a pilot program in Beon 1-dong in March 2023 — the first of its kind in the country. Buoyed by strong resident response, the program expanded to Mia-dong, Songjung-dong and Suyu 2-dong in 2024, and to Samyang-dong, Songcheon-dong, Suyu 1-dong and Suyu 3-dong in 2025. The addition of Beon 2-dong, Ui-dong and Insu-dong this year has solidified the program's standing as Gangbuk-gu's defining community-focused policy.
Beyond basic residential management services such as cleaning, safety patrols and facility inspections, the offices have broadened their scope to include mobile CCTV operations, crime-prevention environmental improvement projects, and dust-removal services for electrical outlets and power strips in elderly residents' homes.
The offices also run free legal consultation services and host community events, going beyond simple facility management to serve as neighborhood hubs that foster communication among residents and help rebuild local community ties.
Resident satisfaction figures reflect the program's impact. A survey conducted last year among about 6,700 households in zones that had been operating for at least one year found a satisfaction rate of 92.4 percent, with 96.0 percent of respondents agreeing that the program should be expanded.
The program has also earned recognition in policy evaluations. Starting with a top prize at the 2023 Manifesto Best Practices Awards, it has gone on to receive major honors including the Korea Policy Award, the Korea Crime Prevention Award and the top prize at the Korean Association for Local Government Studies Policy Award, drawing nationwide attention.
The opening ceremonies — held in Beon 2-dong on June 16, Ui-dong on June 17 and Insu-dong on June 18 — drew Gangbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Soon-hee along with National Assembly members, Seoul City and district council members, and local residents. Attendees shared updates on the program's progress and joined unveiling and signage-installation ceremonies at participating housing complexes to mark the expansion.
"The villa management office program began as a first-of-its-kind challenge and has grown into Gangbuk-gu's signature lifestyle policy through resident satisfaction and participation," District Mayor Lee said. "I am especially proud that it has presented a new public management model — one that resolves everyday inconveniences close to residents' lives and creates a safer living environment."
Lee added that she hopes the villa management office program "will continue to operate stably as a cherished foundation that improves residents' quality of life."
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