Three neighborhoods in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul — Gaemi Village, Munhwa Village and the former Hongje District 4 — will be combined into a single redevelopment zone after repeated failed attempts to renew them individually. The plan calls for a residential complex of about 2,520 units rising as high as 30 stories on the slopes of Inwangsan, with roughly 30,000 square meters of damaged hillside restored as parkland.
Seoul said on the 22nd that it has confirmed the fast-track plan for the housing redevelopment project in the Hongje-dong 9-81 area. The three villages had each pursued their own redevelopment, but the projects collapsed because of height limits imposed to protect views of Inwangsan, restrictions on upgrading zoning in areas released from greenbelt designation, and weak profitability. Gaemi Village has seen several development proposals fail even after it was removed from the greenbelt in 2006.
Seoul decided to merge the three villages to plan infrastructure jointly and to upgrade the zoning of the housing sites from Class 1 and Class 2 general residential zones to Class 3 general residential zones. The aim is to secure a larger housing supply while returning the Inwangsan slope, damaged by unauthorized structures and other development, to parkland.
Segeomjeong-ro 4-gil, an existing village road, will be kept in place. The decision took into account a community bus route linking Inwang Middle School with the Inwangsan walking trail, as well as a sewer culvert running beneath the road. An old path connecting Hongjecheon, Inwang Middle School and Hongje Station will also be restored. At the entrance to Segeomjeong-ro, where congestion is chronic, public land beneath the Inner Circular Road will be incorporated into the redevelopment zone to add another access road.
To preserve views of Inwangsan, two view corridors 20 meters wide will be secured so the mountain remains visible from the Inner Circular Road. Buildings closer to the mountain are planned at around 20 stories, while those along the Inner Circular Road will rise to about 30 stories. The site's elevation difference of up to 105 meters will be used to reduce cutting and filling work, with community facilities and outdoor space placed beneath decks.
With this decision, 201 of the 314 sites covered by Seoul's fast-track planning program have completed their plans. "Three villages that struggled to move forward on their own are now advancing as a single project, and we will provide support so residents can enjoy a safe and pleasant living environment," said Kim Chang-gyu, head of Seoul's Urban Space Improvement Bureau.
