Seoul Yeongdong-daero Underground Space Complex Development Breaks Ground on the 30th

Construction starts on the 30th... 5 years after the basic plan
7 basement floors... total facility area approximately 220,000㎡

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] The development project to build the largest complex facility in Korea in the underground space along Yeongdong-daero in Gangnam-gu, Seoul is set to officially begin. It has been five years since the basic concept was proposed in May 2016.

According to Seoul City on the 23rd, the city plans to start full-scale construction, including relocation of obstacles and temporary facility work, from the 30th. Completion is scheduled for December 2027.

This project is a large-scale initiative to build a metropolitan transfer center and other facilities underground along approximately a 1 km section of Yeongdong-daero between Samsung Station on Subway Line 2 and Bongeunsa Station on Line 9. A total of 1.7459 trillion KRW will be invested, with excavation down to the 7th basement level, resulting in a total facility area of about 220,000㎡.

The existing road will be undergrounded on the first basement level, and a 18,000㎡ green plaza connecting COEX and Hyundai Motor Global Business Center (GBC) will be created above ground. The 2nd and 3rd basement levels will be developed as public commercial spaces, while the 4th to 7th basement levels will house railway transfer facilities for the metropolitan area express railway (GTX) A and C lines, the Wirye-Sinsa Line, and bus transfer stations. Considering the increase in transfer passengers, the existing Samsung Station platform will be expanded and remodeled to connect with the complex transfer center.

The city created the basic concept for integrated development of the Yeongdong-daero underground space in May 2016, signed a business agreement with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in October of the same year, and established the basic plan in June 2017. Subsequently, through international design competitions and basic design, the development was specified, and in October 2019, it was designated and announced as a ‘Metropolitan Complex Transfer Center’ to establish the project foundation.

Among the four divided construction sections, the schedule was delayed due to failure to secure a bid for one section, but with the final contract completed last month, full-scale construction has now commenced. To minimize traffic inconvenience during construction, the city plans to convert the central green space and part of the sidewalk on Yeongdong-daero into lanes for operation.

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