Sequential relocation runs through Oct. 29, with enhanced public notices to minimize confusion; free shuttle runs every 30 minutes between old and new sites
Seoul's Gangseo-gu has begun relocating to its new Magok Integrated District Office — a complex with two basement levels and eight above-ground floors at 135 Gonghang-daero — ending 49 years of operations in Hwagok-dong.
The move consolidates administrative departments previously scattered across the main Gangseo-gu office building and branch offices in Gayang-dong and Hwagok-dong, along with the district council and public health center, under one roof to deliver more efficient, integrated services to residents.
To minimize disruption, the department-by-department relocation is proceeding in stages from Oct. 6 through Oct. 29. Branch offices in Gayang-dong and Hwagok-dong completed their moves on Oct. 6 and have already resumed normal operations. Oct. 12 transfers include key public-service departments — the civil affairs and passport division, tax management division, housing division and real estate information division — as well as the Gangseo Public Health Center.
The main building's core departments and welfare-related divisions are set to follow on Oct. 19, with the district council and remaining departments completing their moves on Oct. 26 and Oct. 29. However, health center services will be suspended for two weeks — from Oct. 12 through Oct. 25 — while specialized equipment such as radiology and clinical laboratory units is relocated; residents are advised to check before visiting.
During the transition, the district will run a free shuttle service to help residents who mistakenly head to the old office. A 12-seat vehicle will circulate the route — old district office, health center, Gayang-dong branch and the new integrated complex — every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no lunch break.
The new complex sits about a three-minute walk (200 meters) from Exit 1 of Magok Station on subway Line 5, significantly improving public transit access. Bus riders can alight at the "Gangseo-gu Integrated Office / Gangseo Tax Office" stop, and drivers may use the underground parking garage beneath the new building.
Beyond its administrative function, the complex is designed as a multipurpose cultural hub. A district history and culture hall tracing 50 years of Gangseo-gu governance, an open library in Magok offering reading programs, and a public wedding venue aimed at reducing marriage costs are all scheduled to open in November. The building also features a cafeteria and meeting rooms of various sizes for residents.
"The era of the Magok Integrated District Office, arriving after 49 years, will be an opportunity to provide residents with more comfortable and convenient administrative services," District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon said. "During the relocation period, we will leave no gaps in shuttle operations and civil affairs guidance so that residents experience no confusion or inconvenience."
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