Seoul eases floor-area ratios, height limits for industry-linked developments in Seongsu, Jongno, Gangnam and Gangseo

20-story mixed-use complex planned for Sinsa-dong 503-2

Aging office building in Banghwa-dong to be redeveloped; school route and senior center to be upgraded

A view of Yeonmujang-gil in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, which is being reorganized as a pedestrian-centered street. [Naver Maps]

Seoul has revised district-unit plans for four areas — Seongsu-dong in Seongdong-gu, the Jongno 2 and 3-ga district, Sinsa Station in Gangnam, and Banghwa-dong in Gangseo-gu. The revisions aim to reshape urban space around each neighborhood's distinct character through transit-oriented mixed development, redevelopment of aging office buildings, advanced-industry clustering and tourism zone revitalization.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it approved, with modifications, a proposal to designate a district-unit planning zone for the semi-industrial area of Seongsu-dong at the 11th Joint Urban and Architecture Committee meeting held Wednesday.

Seongsu-dong was once a run-down factory district but has undergone a striking transformation in recent years as demand for cultural and tourism activities has grown alongside an expansion of advanced industries and office functions.

In March, the city expanded the industrial and retail development promotion zone to cover the entire semi-industrial area of Seongsu-dong and issued an urban management plan adding the cultural and content industries to the list of recommended business types for the zone.

Under the new district-unit plan, developers who introduce recommended business types for the industrial and retail development promotion zone — such as IT, culture and content — will be eligible for floor-area ratio and maximum height allowances of up to 1.2 times the standard limits. The city said the measure is designed to attract clusters of innovative companies.

The plan also includes measures to encourage the use of red-brick architecture, a defining visual element of the neighborhood. Buildings newly constructed or expanded along the Ttukseom Station–Yeonmujang-gil corridor using red brick will be eligible for a building-coverage ratio of up to 70 percent. Developers who meet public-interest requirements — such as creating publicly accessible open space, obtaining green-building certification or making public contributions — can receive incentive floor-area ratio allowances of up to 800 percent.

The Yeonmujang-gil area will be reorganized as a pedestrian-centered street. Designated sections will be classified as restricted vehicle-access zones, allowing property owners who wish to do so to bar vehicles from entering their lots, with corresponding relaxations of parking installation requirements applied in return.

Map showing the district-unit plan designation area for Jongno 2 and 3-ga. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The district-unit plan for the Jongno 2 and 3-ga area is also being revised. The target zone encompasses the Jongno–Cheonggyecheon tourism special district and Jongno's jewelry street, an area that draws a steady flow of domestic and international visitors.

The revision reflects changes in local conditions and policy since the district-unit plan was first established in 2005. It incorporates updates to the floor-area ratio framework revised in 2024 and improvements to the height planning system stemming from the 2023 overhaul of the Seoul city center master plan, with the aim of improving development conditions.

Ground-floor units along Cheonggyecheon and the youth street in Gwancheol-dong will be eligible for relaxed building-coverage ratios if they introduce street-activating uses. To foster Jongno's specialized jewelry industry, developers who bring in recommended business types for the designated development promotion zone will be able to obtain floor-area ratio and height allowances of up to 1.2 times the standard limits.

The base floor-area ratio will rise from 450 percent to 600 percent, and the permitted floor-area ratio from 600 percent to 660 percent. The existing height management system, which centered on maximum height caps, will be replaced with a framework of standard heights and relaxed heights, and rear-facing height limits will also be partially eased.

Lot subdivision plans and joint-development designations set at the block level will be abolished. Maximum development scale requirements will likewise be abolished or relaxed, giving landowners greater flexibility to pursue development suited to their individual circumstances.

Rendering of the mixed-use development planned for Sinsa-dong 503-2. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

A mixed-use office and commercial complex spanning eight below-ground floors and 20 above-ground floors is planned for the area around Sinsa Station. The site, at 503-2 Sinsa-dong, is home to a concentration of small businesses in fashion, design and media, and the development will incorporate functions linked to those local industries.

As part of the public contribution requirement, a startup and small and medium-sized enterprise support facility will also be built on the site, offering practical training, corporate partnership programs and startup support spaces. The remaining public contribution will be provided in cash and used to expand infrastructure in underdeveloped areas. The project is expected to break ground in 2027 and be completed in 2029, pending traffic impact assessments and architectural committee reviews.

Map showing the location of the office facility development site at 499-1 Banghwa-dong, Gangseo-gu. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

An aging office building in the Banghwa-dong 499-1 area of Gangseo-gu is set to be redeveloped. The site is a five-minute walk from Gaehwa Station on subway Line 5 and sits adjacent to Yangcheon-ro, a major arterial road. Its proximity to Gaehwa Elementary School has long prompted calls to improve the school commute environment.

The building on the site is an office facility more than 40 years old. Inadequate pedestrian space — a legacy of earlier planning conditions — has made the area a recognized problem for students walking to school and for the neighborhood's general pedestrian environment.

The plan rezones the site from a first-category general residential zone (up to seven stories) to a second-category general residential zone (up to seven stories) to enable redevelopment of the aging office building. Pedestrian and rest spaces will be expanded through the creation of new sidewalks along the school route, the installation of publicly accessible open space at key intersections, and the development of a front-yard walking path.

A senior center that has been in use for more than 40 years will also be relocated and rebuilt. The existing facility is cramped at two stories and has no elevator; the new plan will expand it to three stories and add an elevator. A rest area connected to the Gaehwasan trail to the north will also be created, giving the space a dual function as a welfare facility for elderly residents and a community resting spot.

Through the decisions made at this Joint Urban and Architecture Committee meeting, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said it expects to create development conditions tailored to each neighborhood's character while simultaneously improving urban vitality and residents' living environment.

quq@heraldcorp.com