Gangdong-gu in Seoul will open the Dongmyeong Neighborhood Park public parking lot on Sept. 1, fulfilling a 12-year wish of Godeok-dong residents, the district announced.
Located at 229 Godeok-dong, the facility spans a total floor area of 7,298 square meters and offers 225 parking spaces. The total project cost was 27 billion won ($19.6 million), with 8.5 billion won funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and 18.5 billion won by the district.
The parking lot will operate around the clock seven days a week, with a fee of 150 won per five minutes. Vehicles displaying disabled-person placards and those belonging to veterans will receive an 80 percent discount. Compact cars, low-emission vehicles, holders of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Dadungi Happy Card, and pregnant women carrying a maternity record book showing an expected due date are eligible for a 50 percent discount.
The 225 spaces are divided into 94 standard spaces, 64 extended spaces, 21 compact spaces, 12 electric vehicle spaces, 7 spaces for people with disabilities, 26 family-consideration spaces and 1 veterans' space. The layout was designed with the needs of people with mobility challenges, families with young children, and other diverse users in mind.
The area around Dongmyeong Neighborhood Park is a single-family residential district completed in 1985 as part of the Godeok district development, and the density of housing has long left it short of parking.
The shortage has been compounded by the widening of Arisu-ro and the removal of on-street parking spaces within school safety zones, which also reduced the number of resident-priority parking spots. Construction of a public parking lot had accordingly been a persistent demand from local residents.
To address the parking crunch, the district began pursuing the Dongmyeong Neighborhood Park public parking lot project in 2014. When groundbreaking was set for March 2021, residents raised concerns about the safety of students commuting to nearby Seoul Godeok Elementary School, and the district decided to incorporate their feedback by relocating the entrance and exit.
The entrance had originally been planned on Godeok-ro 79-gil on the eastern side of the park, adjacent to the school. To move it to the northern side facing Arisu-ro, the district initiated a change to the urban management plan in October 2022. After expert consultations and coordination with relevant agencies, the revision passed a joint urban and architectural committee review by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in October 2023. The entrance relocation extended the project timeline by about three years but improved the safety of students' commuting routes.
After construction resumed in May 2024, the district focused closely on quality control. A quality inspection team composed of specialists in each field monitored the entire construction process from design through completion, with a standing inspection system in place specifically for waterproofing work — a critical step in underground parking construction. Structural framing was completed in June 2025, and all construction work wrapped up in July this year.
Gangdong-gu District Mayor Lee Su-hee personally visited the parking lot, which was completed July 27, to inspect key facilities including parking space markings, vehicle entry and exit routes, and the waterproofing condition of the underground structure. Lee instructed relevant departments to address any issues identified on-site before the opening and to conduct a final check of the entire facility to ensure a smooth launch on Sept. 1.
Above the parking lot, a soccer field of approximately 6,800 square meters is being developed and is scheduled to open officially in October. Residents will then be able to use both the parking facility and the recreational sports venue together. The Gangdong-gu Urban Management Corporation will operate both the public parking lot and the soccer field.
"I am grateful to the residents who waited 12 years for this," District Mayor Lee said. "Thanks to residents prioritizing the safety of students on their way to school, we were also able to move the parking lot entrance to a safer location." Lee added that the district would do its utmost in operating and managing the Dongmyeong Neighborhood Park public parking lot "so that it can ease Godeok-dong's long-standing parking shortage and help residents enjoy the park and sports facilities."
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