Seoul Central District Court rules on 795-square-meter plot

Seoul city government says it will appeal ruling

Eunma apartment complex in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Herald DB]
Eunma apartment complex in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Herald DB]

A court has ordered the Seoul Metropolitan Government to transfer ownership of a 795-square-meter plot inside the Eunma apartment complex in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, to the heirs of the late Chung Tae-soo, former chairman of the Hanbo Group. Seoul plans to appeal, but the reconstruction association says the ruling will not significantly affect the redevelopment project, as the acquisition of the disputed land was already factored into its business plan.

According to Seoul city officials, Civil Division 33 of Seoul Central District Court recently ruled that Seoul must complete the ownership transfer registration for the 795-square-meter plot in the Daechi-dong 1020-2 block to Chung's heirs.

The dispute traces back to the 1970s, when the Eunma complex was under construction. Chung purchased the land from Seoul in 1978 while pursuing the development and construction of the complex. The heirs argued that the full purchase price had been paid at the time but that ownership registration remained under Seoul's name even after the apartments were completed, and filed a lawsuit. The court sided with the heirs, citing the original sales contract and payment records.

Seoul is preparing to appeal. The city cannot relinquish its legal property rights before the ruling is finalized, given that the land remains officially registered as city-owned. "We will proceed with follow-up steps, including an appeal, after a legal review," a city official said.

Beyond this case, multiple similar land ownership disputes between Seoul, the reconstruction association and Chung's heirs are ongoing within the Eunma complex.

Both Seoul and the reconstruction association believe the ruling will not derail the project. The association has calculated construction costs and member contributions on the assumption that the disputed plots would be secured through future compulsory purchase procedures. Whether the final owner turns out to be Seoul or the heirs, the association says it can acquire the land through the appropriate legal process either way.

"The association structured its contribution estimates on the premise of purchasing the disputed land, so the ruling does not create a situation where the project halts or contributions spike," a Seoul city official said. "If the litigation outcome means the association no longer needs to purchase the land separately, related costs could actually decrease."

Seoul says it is handling the ownership dispute and its support for the reconstruction project as separate matters. "We will pursue the property rights dispute through legal channels, and since the Eunma reconstruction is important for housing supply, we will actively support the project to ensure it proceeds without disruption," a city official said.

Completed in 1979, the Eunma complex — comprising 28 buildings and 4,424 units — is slated for reconstruction into a large-scale development of up to 49 stories and 5,850 units. The association is targeting a 2028 ground-breaking, following management and disposal plan approval and the completion of resident relocation and demolition.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com