Seoul City Detects 2,128 Illegal Buildings... Imposes 3.7 Billion KRW in Compliance Penalties

Announcement of Q1 Building Act Violation Inspections
1777 Unauthorized Constructions Most Frequent... Illegal Construction Including Geunsaeng Villas and Room Subdivisions

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has newly identified 2,128 buildings violating the Building Act and imposed a total of 3.7 billion KRW in enforcement fines.

On the 25th, Seoul announced that these violations were detected following building inspections conducted in the first quarter of this year through the 25 autonomous districts.

The most common violation among the newly identified buildings was unauthorized construction (extension), accounting for 1,774 cases (83%). Expanding or constructing residential spaces without reporting to the district office is illegal under the Building Act. Unauthorized changes of use, such as illegally converting commercial or office spaces classified as neighborhood living facilities into residences without permission?commonly known as 'Geunsaeng Villa'?accounted for 150 cases (7%). Illegal construction practices like 'room splitting,' where interior partition walls are erected to increase the number of rooms, followed with 78 cases (3.6%).

The district mayors, who hold building permit authority, issue administrative measures against these violating buildings. Owners must restore the property to its original state within the correction order period, and if they fail to comply, enforcement fines may be imposed up to twice a year. Administrative actions such as prosecution may also be taken.

Seoul City and the autonomous districts plan to continue investigating and inspecting violating buildings. They will especially focus on illegal cases such as Geunsaeng Villas and room splitting, which have recently become social issues. Room splitting, by dividing units with partition walls, is vulnerable to fire and lacks proper soundproofing, thereby worsening tenants' living environments.

Furthermore, Seoul urges that the legality of any construction activities such as extensions or renovations be verified beforehand. While consulting a qualified architect is the principle for building plans, related consultations can also be obtained from the architecture departments of each autonomous district. Reviewing the building register in advance to understand the building’s purpose and overview will make consultations easier.

Additionally, the city provides free access to materials such as "Understanding the Building Act through Illustrations" and the "Building Regulations Collection 2021" on Seoul’s e-book site to help citizens better understand the Building Act.

Kim Seongbo, Head of the Housing and Architecture Headquarters, stated, "To prevent damages caused by violating buildings, it is essential to issue and verify the building register before buying or renting properties," adding, "Many cases of unauthorized extensions or changes of use to residential facilities without confirming the Building Act result in violations, so please exercise caution."

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