Seoul City: "Harim's Unreasonable Demand for Ultra-High-Rise and Ultra-High-Density Development"

Conflict Over Development of Former Yangjae-dong Cargo Terminal Site Escalates
Harim "Seoul City Deliberately Delays with Permit Authority"

Jung-hwa Lee, Director of Urban Planning Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The Seoul Metropolitan Government strongly refuted Harim Group's claim that the city, as the licensing authority, is deliberately delaying the development of the former cargo terminal site in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu (urban high-tech logistics complex creation). It also criticized Harim for demanding a super high-rise, super high-density development that conflicts with urban planning and is likely to cause severe congestion.

On the 3rd, Lee Jeong-hwa, Director of the Seoul City Urban Planning Bureau, held a related briefing via YouTube and made these remarks. The site currently under controversy is the former Korea Cargo Terminal site owned by Harim. In 2015, the government launched the urban high-tech logistics complex creation project to support logistics within cities, selecting six pilot complexes nationwide, including the Yangjae-dong complex. Since then, Harim Industry has been discussing development methods with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City, and submitted a letter of intent to invest to Seoul City in August last year. Harim Industry plans to install green & smart urban high-tech logistics facilities and research and development (R&D) support facilities.

However, conflict arose as Seoul City opposed Harim's plan based on urban planning. Director Lee explained, "Harim is demanding super high-rise and super high-density development that conflicts with the existing Seoul urban plan solely because it was selected and reflected as a pilot site for the urban high-tech logistics complex in the Ministry of Land's comprehensive logistics facility development plan," adding, "There are concerns about severe congestion around the Yangjae IC area, a habitual traffic congestion zone, and controversies over preferential excessive development."

The city is aiming to foster about 3 million square meters around Yangjae and Umyeon-dong, including the cargo terminal site, as an R&D innovation hub. This area is a habitual traffic congestion zone, so it is managed with a floor area ratio of 400% or less, and the city is pushing forward with district unit plan changes to shift the land use focus to R&D, according to the city’s explanation.

Harim, on the other hand, finds this hard to accept. The company claims, "The urban high-tech logistics complex creation, which the government has reflected in the national plan and is promoting, is being distorted and delayed due to unfair administrative actions by the Seoul City Urban Planning Bureau." Recently, shareholders related to Harim Group even filed a public interest audit request with the Board of Audit and Inspection, alleging that Seoul City is deliberately delaying the project.

The city stated that it has confirmed with the Ministry of Land that the logistics complex creation must comply with urban development plans. Director Lee explained, "At that time, we requested the Ministry of Land to clarify that the site must follow our city policy direction, and the Ministry replied that the city can judge whether the development plan aligns with city policy."

In the briefing, Seoul City demanded that Harim propose a plan again that fits the development conditions of the area and Seoul’s higher-level plans, while minimizing negative impacts.

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