76,700 units announced on top of 27,200 from Aug. 13 housing plan

Gimpo Ara, Guri Geonwon, Hanam Gamil 2 among greenbelt sites unlocked

Fast-track ground-breaking model to be applied; construction to begin by 2030

Greenbelt land outside new development zones lifted from land transaction permit areas

A view of Hanam, Gyeonggi Province. [Herald DB]
A view of Hanam, Gyeonggi Province. [Herald DB]

The government plans to release greenbelt land within roughly 5 kilometers of Seoul's city limits — covering areas in Gimpo, Guri and Hanam — to supply an additional 76,700 housing units. Combined with the roughly 27,000 units announced under the Aug. 13 housing measures, the total number of candidate sites for new public housing districts has been finalized at a scale exceeding the original target of 100,000 units. The government aims to break ground on all new sites by 2030 by applying a fast-track construction model for public housing land.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held its second regular housing supply briefing Thursday morning at Government Complex Seoul, announcing the plan to advance candidate sites for new housing land in the greater metropolitan area.

Earlier, the government's Aug. 13 rapid housing supply measures had outlined a plan to deliver more than 100,000 units through the designation of new public housing districts. Locations for 27,200 units were disclosed first — including sites in Seoul's Gangseo-gu, the Namyangju city center and the Gwangju Station transit-oriented area 2 in Gyeonggi Province. Thursday's announcement covers the remaining candidate sites.

The six new candidate sites are spread across Gimpo, Guri, Hanam, Uijeongbu and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province. All lie within 5 kilometers of Seoul's city limits and are considered key transportation hubs with strong access to the city center. Each site falls within greenbelt zones where environmental conservation value has already diminished or where unplanned development has been a concern.

The largest of the six is Gimpo Ara, located in Gochon-eup, Gimpo, with a planned 37,000 units. The site borders Gangseo-gu in Seoul and sits along the Han River. A planned extension of subway Line 5, which has cleared a preliminary feasibility study, is under development nearby. The district is set to be developed as a self-sufficient residential zone in conjunction with the Han River Cinepolis general industrial complex and the Gochon logistics hub.

Guri Geonwon, a site previously set aside for an e-commerce smart city project that was put on hold, will be converted into a public housing district supplying 14,600 units. The site offers access to Jamsil Station within roughly 30 minutes and will be developed with self-sustaining functions through a waterfront residential zone and the planned relocation of an agricultural and fisheries wholesale market.

Two sites in Hanam were also included. Hanam Misa K-Culture, adjacent to Misa Gyeongjeong Park and the Han River waterfront, will supply 12,000 units and be developed as a combined nature and cultural hub. Subway Line 5 already serves the area near Misa Island, and ongoing extension projects for Lines 3 and 9 are expected to significantly improve access to Seoul once completed. An additional 6,500 units will be supplied at Hanam Gamil 2, which connects to the existing Gamil district and Gyosan new town. A Line 3 extension project within the Gamil district is also under way, and a public transit network linked to it is planned.

Elsewhere, Uijeongbu Darakwon — which includes the former USFK base Camp Jackson — will provide 2,600 units, while Goyang Daegok Knowledge Convergence, a vertically integrated development on land south of Daegok Station served by five rail lines including GTX-A, will add 4,000 units.

The government plans to apply the fast-track construction model to all six new sites, sharply cutting the time from district designation to ground-breaking. The goal is to begin construction at all sites by 2030 through an accelerated phased approach. The districts are to be developed quickly so that young people, newlyweds and other genuine buyers can settle stably in high-quality homes in desirable locations.

Anti-speculation measures will accompany the accelerated supply push. The ministry and Korea Land and Housing Corporation, the project proposer, conducted a full review of land ownership among all current and former employees and their immediate family members; no suspected cases of speculative buying were found. Of 2,917 transactions recorded over the past three years in and around the new candidate sites, the government has identified 654 for further targeted investigation.

Greenbelt areas outside the new development zones will be lifted from land transaction permit requirements to minimize restrictions on private property rights. Under the Aug. 13 measures, the government had placed all greenbelt areas in Seoul and adjacent parts of the greater metropolitan area under land transaction permit controls ahead of the new site announcements.

Land Minister Hong Ji-seon said continuously supplying housing in high-quality locations preferred by genuine buyers such as young people and newlyweds is paramount. "We will make every effort to ensure that housing is delivered on schedule by applying the fast-track construction model to these new sites," Hong said.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com