Seoul's last hillside slum to be redeveloped into 2,520-unit complex near Inwangsan

Three villages to be integrated under single redevelopment plan; floor-area ratio capped at 275.6%, max 30 stories

30,000 square meters of degraded Inwangsan hillside to be restored as parkland

The area around Hongje-dong 9-81, designated under the fast-track integrated planning scheme for residential redevelopment. [Naver Road View]

Three neighborhoods in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu — Gaemi Village, Munhwa Village and the former Hongje District 4 zone — will be merged into a single redevelopment zone and rebuilt as a residential complex of up to 30 stories and approximately 2,520 units.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it had finalized a fast-track integrated plan for residential redevelopment covering the area around Hongje-dong 9-81. The project encompasses all three neighborhoods.

Each area had previously pursued separate redevelopment efforts, but all fell through due to restrictions on protecting the Inwangsan viewshed, limits on zoning upgrades in areas released from the greenbelt, and poor project viability. After its greenbelt designation was lifted in 2006, Gaemi Village attempted a private housing construction project, a residential environment management scheme, a Moa Town initiative and a residential regeneration innovation district. Munhwa Village pursued a public redevelopment project, and the former Hongje District 4 zone sought its own redevelopment — but none succeeded.

To improve feasibility, the Seoul Metropolitan Government merged the three neighborhoods into a single zone and linked their infrastructure. From the earliest planning stages, the city conducted nine site visits, roundtables and briefing sessions with Seodaemun-gu to incorporate residents' input.

Residents called for the three villages to be developed as a single living zone, along with higher floor-area ratios, improved project viability, better access to and from Segeomjeong-ro, and the consolidation of public office buildings. The Seoul Metropolitan Government reviewed these requests and incorporated them into the plan.

A landscape plan for the fast-track integrated residential redevelopment project covering the Hongje-dong 9-81 area. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The fast-track integrated plan rests on three core principles: creating a single interconnected living village, securing open views toward the Inwangsan ridgeline, and designing a three-dimensional spatial layout that accounts for the site's elevation changes.

About 30,000 square meters of degraded hillside on the lower slopes of Inwangsan — densely packed with unauthorized structures — will be restored as parkland. Residential land will be rezoned from first- and second-category general residential zones to third-category general residential zones to improve project viability.

Segeomjeong-ro 4-gil, the main street used by residents daily, will be preserved, and existing paths connecting to Hongjecheon stream, Inwang Middle School and Hongje Station will be maintained. Segeomjeong-ro 4-gil will be designated as a multi-level road and included in the plot area to boost project economics.

Traffic conditions will also be improved. The plan calls for separating vehicles entering the inner ring road from local resident traffic, and for incorporating public land beneath the inner ring road into the redevelopment zone to open an additional access road toward Segeomjeong-ro.

To protect views of Inwangsan, two 20-meter-wide view corridors will be secured running from the inner ring road toward the mountain. Building heights are planned at around 20 stories near Inwangsan and around 30 stories along the inner ring road, forming a skyline that follows the mountain's ridgeline.

Because the site has an elevation difference of up to 105 meters, the terrain will be graded with minimal cutting and filling. Community facilities and outdoor courtyards will be placed beneath deck structures and connected to pedestrian paths within the complex. The Hongje 3-dong community center and social welfare facilities beneath the inner ring road are to be consolidated and relocated alongside neighborhood commercial facilities at the complex entrance.

The total site area is 134,565 square meters. The floor-area ratio is capped at 275.6 percent, the maximum height at 30 stories, and approximately 2,520 units are planned. Detailed plans may change during the formal redevelopment planning process.

With this plan finalized, 201 of the 314 sites citywide designated under the fast-track integrated planning scheme have completed planning. The project will proceed through the formal stages of drafting and approving a redevelopment plan.

Kim Chang-gyu, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Space Bureau, said the Gaemi Village area in Hongje-dong is Seoul's last remaining hillside slum — a dense cluster of unauthorized shacks that took root after the Korean War and has persisted to this day. "Numerous redevelopment efforts have fallen through over the years, leaving this as one of the city's long-standing unfinished tasks," he said. "We will spare no administrative support to ensure residents can enjoy a safe and comfortable living environment as soon as possible."

quq@heraldcorp.com