"From Seonjeongneung to Jamsil Sports Complex"... Accelerating the Renovation of the 'International Exchange Complex District' Pedestrian Axis

Winning design for the international design competition of the waterfront space along Tancheon Stream and the Han River within the 'Seoul International Exchange Complex District (SID)'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The pedestrian axis of the 'Seoul International Exchange Complex District (SID)' stretching from COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul to Jamsil Sports Complex will be completely transformed.

According to the maintenance industry on the 13th, Seoul City recently commissioned basic and detailed design services for the maintenance of the pedestrian axis covering the entire International Exchange Complex District. The 2.2 km section from Seonjeongneung (Bongeunsa Temple) to COEX will undergo basic and detailed design for the maintenance project area, while the approximately 2.0 km section linking COEX to Yeongdong-daero, Hyundai Motor site, Tancheon Stream, Jamsil Sports Complex, and the Han River will have a basic design planned. The city intends to complete the related services by the second half of next year and begin full-scale pedestrian axis refurbishment.

The city plans to create a smart pedestrian environment connecting historical resources such as Seonjeongneung and Bongeunsa Temple around the International Exchange Complex District, natural environments like the Han River and Tancheon Stream, and regional resources including COEX, the Hyundai Motor site, Seoul Medical Center, and Jamsil Sports Complex. Through pedestrian axes connecting surrounding open spaces and large sites, this section will be reborn as a 'walkable area.' The undergrounding of various utility poles and related projects will determine the installation locations and facility designs of distribution facilities (underground vaults, above-ground equipment) based on consultations with Korea Electric Power Corporation, mobile carriers, and other relevant organizations. Additionally, the 'Basic Plan for Pedestrian Axis Maintenance in the International Exchange Complex District' established in 2017 will be reviewed for any changes in conditions or unsuitable elements and reflected in the design.

Seoul City announced the basic concept of the Seoul International Exchange Complex District project in 2014. While establishing the long-term vision '2030 Seoul Plan,' the plan concretized the development of the 1.99 million square meter area from COEX to Jamsil Sports Complex into an international business MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry hub.

Major individual projects within the International Exchange Complex District are also gaining momentum. Last year, Seoul City selected the winning design for the 'International Design Competition for the Waterfront Space along Tancheon Stream and the Han River within the International Exchange Complex District,' which will create a 630,000 square meter waterfront leisure and cultural space in the COEX to Jamsil Sports Complex area. The Hyundai Motor Group’s new headquarters Global Business Center (GBC) in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, is also in the final stages of review, aiming for groundbreaking in the first half of this year.

A Seoul City official explained, "We will establish an execution plan for the pedestrian axis based on the pedestrian route plan of the International Exchange Complex District (COEX to Jamsil Sports Complex area) currently being reorganized, and review the consistency with pedestrian-related plans of individual projects within the district to proceed with an integrated design."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.