Seoul plans 2,741 housing units in Yangcheon-gu, Jungnang-gu moa-town projects

3rd small-scale housing renewal integrated review

354 units in Sinwol-dong; viability correction factor applied

Junghwa-dong moa-town split, expanded to add 1,021 units

A rendering of the planned development around 144-20 Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Seoul plans to supply a total of 2,741 housing units through moa-housing projects in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu and Junghwa-dong, Jungnang-gu, with ground-breaking targeted for 2028. In Junghwa-dong, 1,021 additional units will be added by splitting off and expanding part of an existing moa-town zone.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday that it reviewed implementation plans for five moa-housing projects in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu and Junghwa-dong, Jungnang-gu, as well as a moa-town management plan for 313-23 Junghwa-dong, Jungnang-gu, at the third plenary session of the Small-Scale Housing Renewal Integrated Review Committee, held Thursday.

The session approved, with modifications or conditions, the following items: a revised management plan and street housing renewal project implementation plan for the area around 102-33 Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu; a revised management plan and four street housing renewal project implementation plans for the area around 329-38 Junghwa 2-dong, Jungnang-gu; and a moa-town management plan for the area around 313-23 Junghwa 2-dong, Jungnang-gu.

Zone A1 of the street housing renewal project around 144-20 Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu was designated a moa-town management area in December 2023. The site is a low-rise residential neighborhood with a deterioration rate of 80.6 percent and will supply a total of 354 units, including 60 rental units. Although height restrictions applied due to Gimpo Airport's flight safety zone, the area's zoning was upgraded to third-class general residential, allowing a maximum of 13 floors and a floor area ratio cap of 300 percent.

Through this review, the Seoul Metropolitan Government revised the moa-town management plan and improved project viability by incorporating a viability correction factor, requirements for shared resident facilities and compensation for tenant losses.

Measures to improve surrounding roads and the pedestrian environment were also included. Nambu Sunhwan-ro 57-gil and other roads currently 8 meters wide will be widened to up to 10 meters, and a 3-meter building setback line will be secured. Within the complex, a senior center, a daycare center, a small library and a children's playground are planned.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also designated a special architecture zone to allow for additional deregulation, and said it will move quickly to support follow-up procedures with a 2028 ground-breaking target.

A location map of the moa-town project around 329-38 Junghwa-dong, Jungnang-gu. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The moa-town project around 329-38 Junghwa-dong, Jungnang-gu will supply a total of 2,387 units across four zones — 75 more than the previously planned 2,312.

By zone, the breakdown is 587 units in Zone 2-1, 580 in Zone 2-2, 667 in Zone 2-3 and 553 in Zone 2-5. The increase was achieved by applying a viability correction factor.

The area is a deteriorating low-rise residential neighborhood west of Junghwa Station on subway Line 7, situated between the Jungnang Stream and the Gyeongchun Line railway. Its deterioration rate stands at 77.3 percent, and 1,115 households currently live there.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to widen Bonghwasan-ro 4-gil from 8 meters to 13.5 meters and secure a sidewalk. Building layouts in zones adjacent to the Gyeongchun Line railway will be arranged to minimize noise and lighting impacts. The complex will also include a daycare center, a care support center, a small library and a residents' cafe.

A rendering of the planned development around 313-23 Junghwa-dong. [Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

A separate moa-town project with 1,021 units is being newly pursued around 313-23 Junghwa-dong. It was created by splitting Zones 2-4 and 2-6 from the existing moa-town around 329-38 Junghwa-dong and adding land parcels requested for inclusion by neighboring residents.

A separate management plan covering a total of 37,437.6 square meters has been drawn up. Housing supply will increase from the existing 511 units to 1,021 — with 504 units in Zone 2-4 and 517 units in Zone 2-6.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government upgraded the zoning to third-class general residential and applied a moa-housing viability correction factor to improve conditions for the project. Rental housing will total 202 units, comprising 65 units contributed as in-kind donations following the zoning upgrade and 137 purchased units.

To improve residents' daily convenience, surrounding roads including Bonghwasan-ro and Dongil-ro 129-gil will be widened, and a community street linking the adjacent moa-town is also planned.

"Through this review, we have applied the viability correction factor to strengthen the business case for moa-housing and are accelerating improvements to roads, pedestrian environments and resident amenities," said Myeong No-jun, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Housing Bureau. "We will continue to improve regulations in a rational manner and actively support the swift advancement of moa-housing and moa-town projects suited to the characteristics of each area."

Moa-housing is a small-scale renewal scheme for aging low-rise residential neighborhoods that do not meet the requirements for full redevelopment or reconstruction, in which adjacent landowners pool their lots to build apartment complexes together. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has been pursuing deregulation to improve the viability of moa-housing projects.

shy@heraldcorp.com