Songpa-gu doubles down on 'support over regulation' in new term — from reconstruction to parking
Jamsil 5 complex wins project implementation approval July 1; 'Olympic trio' and Georye-Macheon redevelopment also on the move
Parking enforcement shifts to guidance-first model; weekend and holiday crackdowns suspended to ease burden on residents
On Wednesday, the first day of his second term, Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Kang-seok signed two approvals. His first official act was granting project implementation approval for the Jamsil Jugong 5 complex reconstruction; his second was a plan to ease parking enforcement to support residents' daily lives.
The moves signal his intent to keep the administrative focus on support rather than regulation — a philosophy that defined his previous term.
The Jamsil Jugong 5 complex, widely known as Jamsil 5, is one of the most closely watched reconstruction projects in the country. Since the project launched in 2003, it took eight years just to establish a maintenance plan, and progress repeatedly stalled over design competitions and other hurdles. That stood in stark contrast to the neighboring Jamsil Jugong complexes 1 through 4, which completed reconstruction around 2009.
The momentum shifted when Seo's first term began. As Songpa-gu pivoted from regulatory administration to a support-driven approach, the project got back on track. Over four years, the district focused on deregulation proposals, mediating disputes within the reconstruction association and streamlining procedures. The project then cleared the urban planning committee in April 2024 and passed an integrated review in June 2025, allowing the association to formally apply for project implementation approval in December of that year.
With Wednesday's approval, Jamsil 5 will be redeveloped to include 4,942 units on the residential plot (4 below-ground floors, 49 above-ground floors) and 1,469 units on the mixed-use plot (4 below-ground floors, 65 above-ground floors), along with retail, office and cultural facilities. The association plans to complete appraisals and pre-sale applications in the second half of this year, and to apply for a management and disposal plan approval in 2027.
Reconstruction activity in Songpa-gu extends well beyond Jamsil 5. The so-called "Olympic trio" — the Olympic Athletes' Village, Olympic Family and Asian Athletes' Village apartment complexes — along with Jangmi apartments are all picking up pace. The Georye-Macheon redevelopment zone is also preparing to transform into a premium residential district of roughly 15,000 units, on the scale of a mini new town, by around 2032.
The second approval targets the everyday burden of parking. Seo has long maintained that "regulations and sanctions should be kept to the absolute minimum and applied only when unavoidable." The measure aims to reduce instances where residents are hit with fines from overzealous enforcement and to protect small business owners.
Songpa-gu's parking administration will shift from an enforcement-first to a guidance-first model. Enforcement will be suspended entirely on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. During weekday lunch and dinner hours, enforcement will also be paused. Delivery vehicles, moving trucks, construction vehicles and other livelihood-related vehicles will be subject to the same relaxed standards.
Zones directly tied to pedestrian safety are exempt from the relaxed policy. Enforcement will continue at all times, regardless of hour or circumstance, in absolute no-parking zones: school zones (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), sidewalks, fire engine access roads, within 5 meters of fire hydrants, within 10 meters of crosswalks, within 5 meters of intersection corners, within 10 meters of safety zones and within 10 meters of bus stops. Elsewhere, enforcement will be triggered only when there is a clear obstruction to traffic or a threat to public safety.
"The success of Songpa-gu's administration during my first term began with looking first at what was inconvenient for residents and fixing it," Seo said. "In this new term, I will continue that service-minded approach — paying close attention so that residents feel real change in their daily lives — and build an even more livable, world-class city of Songpa."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
