Installation of Yongsan Station~Electronics Market Skywalk Begins in Earnest

Yongsan-gu Grants Permit for Aerial Pedestrian Bridge Installation Between Yongsan Station and SDC... Dec 2021?May 2022... New Aerial Pedestrian Bridge at Hangangno-dong 40-999, 147.03m×8.6m... Construction Cost Fully Covered by HDC... Completed Bridge Donated to Korea Rail Network Authority

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[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The installation of a new aerial pedestrian bridge connecting Yongsan Station and Yongsan Electronics Market is set to begin in earnest.

Yongsan District Office (District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) has approved the application submitted by HDC I'Park Mall (CEO Kim Hoeon, hereafter HDC) for the installation of an aerial pedestrian bridge between Yongsan Station and Seoul Dragon City (SDC).

The project site is located around 40-999 Hangang-ro-dong. The bridge will be 147.03 meters long, 8.6 meters wide (with an internal walkway of 5 meters), and cover an area of 1,264.53 square meters. The bridge will be installed at a height of 10.15 meters, corresponding to the third floor of Yongsan Station.

The exterior design resembles a net-like structure. The railings and outer walls will be finished with transparent glass to ensure openness and simplify (straighten) the pedestrian flow. The slope is planned to be about 1°.

The construction period is from December this year to May next year.

A district official stated, “Along with the construction of the new bridge, the existing pedestrian bridge installed in 1993 will be demolished. This will improve accessibility from the Electronics Market to Yongsan Station and enhance the pedestrian environment.”

In 2016, when approving the implementation plan for the expansion of the Yongsan private station building, the district included the installation of the aerial pedestrian bridge as a public contribution item. The existing pedestrian bridge was old and inconvenient, and some sections had steep slopes raising safety concerns for the elderly and disabled.

It was also judged necessary to secure a pedestrian network connecting Yongsan Park, Yongsan Parkway, Yongsan Station, SDC, and the Electronics Market in the long term.

Although the urban management plan (pedestrian-only road) was decided in 2017 and the city urban design committee reviewed it in 2018, the project was delayed due to failure to reach agreements on national land usage fee reductions with Korea Railroad Corporation, Korea Rail Network Authority, and others who own and manage the land under the aerial pedestrian bridge.

Eventually, earlier this year, nine organizations including the Yongsan Electronics Complex Cooperative, Merchants Association, Yongsan District Branch of the Korea Blind Union, Yongsan District Branch of the Seoul Deaf Association, and Yongsan District Branch of the Disabled Persons Association filed a petition with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission urging the project. In March, inter-agency coordination and agreement were reached.

According to the aerial pedestrian bridge installation agreement, HDC will bear all construction costs. The completed pedestrian bridge will be donated to the Korea Rail Network Authority, and maintenance of the facility will be handled by Seobu TND, the operator of SDC. All land occupancy and usage fees for national land will be fully exempted.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan District, said, “The long-awaited Yongsan Station-SDC aerial pedestrian bridge project will be completed in the first half of next year. The district will continue to pay close attention to ensure residents can walk more conveniently and safely.”

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