Seoul City Eases Floor Area Ratio Up to 120% for 'General Hospital Expansion'... Expanding Public Healthcare Infrastructure

Partial Amendment to the Seoul Metropolitan City Urban Planning Ordinance to Take Effect on the 11th... Strengthening Public Healthcare through Public-Private Cooperation

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will relax the floor area ratio (FAR) up to 120% compared to the current level when expanding general hospitals to expand public medical infrastructure such as dedicated infectious disease beds, maternity and child care, and medical facilities for the disabled, whose importance has increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If necessary, it will also consider easing building coverage ratio and height restrictions through district unit plans.

On the 11th, Seoul City announced the promulgation and enforcement of a partial amendment to the 'Seoul Metropolitan Urban Planning Ordinance' based on these contents. Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for medical facilities surged, but general hospitals faced limitations in expanding facilities through extensions due to insufficient available floor area ratio. Accordingly, the city established a legal basis by revising and implementing the ordinance in February to relax the floor area ratio for general hospital expansions.

Currently, there are 56 general hospitals in Seoul, of which 21 face difficulties in expanding medical facilities such as extensions due to insufficient floor area ratio. As a result of collecting opinions from general hospitals in the city, about ten hospitals expressed their intention to expand using the support measures prepared by the city this time. Among them, Konkuk University Hospital, Ewha Mokdong Hospital, Yangji Hospital, and Samsung Seoul Hospital are planning to review specific participation plans, the city said.

The amended ordinance allows the floor area ratio to be relaxed up to 120% of the floor area ratio by land use zone through district unit plans on sites designated as urban planning facilities for general medical facilities. More than half of the relaxed floor area ratio must be used to install 'publicly necessary medical facilities' such as dedicated infectious disease beds and intensive care units.

The secured 'infectious disease management facilities' will be mobilized primarily for public use during infectious disease crises or disasters. Hospitals seeking to expand facilities by receiving floor area ratio incentives must submit a 'commitment letter for priority mobilization of beds during infectious disease crises' together.

General hospitals can use the remaining half of the relaxed floor area ratio to improve hospital facilities. Additionally, if necessary, building standards such as building coverage ratio and height will be eased through district unit plans. To this end, the city plans to establish 'Standards for Establishment and Operation of District Unit Plans for General Medical Facilities' in the second half of this year. It will include specific guidelines on urban planning support measures when expanding general hospitals and management plans for publicly necessary medical facilities. The city is also considering simplifying the urban planning decision process by directly drafting the plan.

Choi Jin-seok, Director of the Urban Planning Bureau, said, “This ordinance amendment has laid the urban planning foundation to expand public medical infrastructure through public-private cooperation. General hospitals, which had difficulty expanding facilities due to insufficient floor area ratio, will find it easier to expand, and the public sector will be able to quickly secure public medical infrastructure for vulnerable groups, thereby strengthening medical response capabilities in times of crisis.”

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