Samseon-dong neighborhood near Hanyangdoseong to be redeveloped into 870-unit apartment complex

Heritage protection zone to become linear park; complex planned at around 192% floor-area ratio, up to 19 stories

A rendering of the planned redevelopment of the area around 277 Samseon-dong 1-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

An area near the Hanyangdoseong city wall in Samseon-dong 1-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul will be transformed into an apartment complex of up to 18 stories and about 870 units. The site includes an urban Buddhist temple and a cultural heritage protection zone bordering the Hanyangdoseong wall, both of which will be preserved or converted into public spaces as part of the redevelopment plan.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it had finalized a fast-track integrated plan for a residential redevelopment project covering the area around 277 Samseon-dong 1-ga, Seongbuk-gu. The site had been passed over three times in earlier rounds of private and public redevelopment candidate selection before being conditionally designated last year as a fast-track integrated planning candidate. City officials said the area, which has an elevation difference of more than 30 meters and steep slopes that make pedestrian and vehicle access difficult, would see its residential environment significantly improved through the project.

The plan includes improvements to the surroundings of the Hanyangdoseong wall and the installation of public facilities for visitors, a building-height scheme within the angular elevation limits set for structures near cultural heritage sites to create a skyline in harmony with the fortress wall and Naksan hill, and improvements to pedestrian connectivity across slopes that currently cut off movement through the area.

To allow for a more flexible redevelopment plan, the city also included a proposal to rezone the site from its current mix of first-category and second-category general residential zones — the latter capped at seven stories — to a unified second-category general residential zone. Under the plan, the site would be redeveloped at a floor-area ratio of around 192 percent with approximately 870 units.

A proposed building layout around the cultural heritage protection zone. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Building heights and placement within the residential complex will be adjusted to complement the surrounding topography and views, including the Hanyangdoseong wall and Naksan hill. Low-rise blocks of two to three stories will be placed on the western side, with heights gradually increasing toward the east while remaining below the summit of Naksan (125 meters above sea level). Terraced housing will be introduced at points where the terrain drops sharply, minimizing exposed retaining walls while creating usable residential space.

Jeonggaksa, an urban Buddhist temple within the site that houses the award-winning Mirae Tower, will be preserved. Taking into account the positions of Jeonggaksa and the Samgunbu Chongmudang to the south, the plan secures east-west and north-south view corridors between buildings to maintain sightlines toward the Hanyangdoseong wall and the Samgunbu Chongmudang.

The entire cultural heritage protection zone on the western side of the site — defined as within 20 meters on either side of the Hanyangdoseong boundary — will be converted into public space and developed as a linear park with walking paths and rest areas. On the southern side of the site, the existing Seongbuk Information Center and the Samseon-dong public parking lot will be consolidated and redeveloped to provide public facilities.

Kim Chang-gyu, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Space Bureau, said the finalization of the fast-track integrated plan had laid the groundwork for a long-awaited redevelopment of the aging neighborhood. "We will support follow-up procedures, including the designation of the redevelopment zone, so that the area can be reborn as a residential complex where residents can enjoy a comfortable living environment in harmony with the Hanyangdoseong wall," Kim said.

hope@heraldcorp.com