"90,000 Households Remodeling in Seoul... Urgent Need to Promote Vertical Extension and Remove Load-Bearing Walls"

The Seoul Remodeling Housing Association (Seorihyeop) emphasized the need for institutional improvements to revitalize remodeling projects. They explained that in a situation where housing supply is decreasing, remodeling with additional units can help from the supply side.

Seo Jeong-tae, President of the Seoul Remodeling Housing Association Council Photo by Seorihyeop

Seorihyeop held a press briefing on the morning of the 11th in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, introducing remodeling projects and plans to revitalize the market. The briefing was attended by Seorihyeop executives and heads of associations from each autonomous district.

Seo Jeong-tae, chairman of Seorihyeop (head of Jayang Woosung 1st Association), said, "Currently, there are 67 associations and 54 promotion committees in Seoul, with about 90,000 households pursuing remodeling projects. We aim to contribute to revitalizing remodeling by creating an association-centered ecosystem." He explained that apartments built from the late 1980s to the 2000s have floor area ratios (FAR) higher than the currently allowed FAR, with many exceeding 300%, making reconstruction difficult even with FAR relaxation under current standards.

With the remodeling era featuring additional units beginning with Ogeum Anam Apartment in Songpa-gu (Songpa The Platinum), Seorihyeop expects housing supply through remodeling to have a positive effect. They advocate for allowing vertical extensions and removal of load-bearing walls to make remodeling methods more flexible and active. Kim Chi-bung, head of Daechi 1st Hyundai Association, pointed out, "It has been 10 years since vertical extension was permitted by the 2013 Housing Act amendment, but only two complexes?Songpa Seongji and Daechi 1st Hyundai?have received remodeling approval so far. The safety review by specialized institutions is excessively stringent."

He also stressed the need for an early decision to allow removal of load-bearing walls between units. Kim said, "I understand that the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology's research on load-bearing wall removal was completed in 2020, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has yet to make a decision. We urge a prompt decision to allow removal of load-bearing walls between units to enable diverse floor plans and improve the quality of residential environments that meet the expectations of Seoul citizens."

Seorihyeop, launched in January last year to minimize trial and error through information exchange among remodeling project sites, consists of about 70 remodeling complexes, including 44 associations and 26 promotion committees. It is organized into six divisions (External Cooperation, Vertical Extension, Technology, Public Relations, Education, Model Standards) to share remodeling-related information and continuously propose policies.

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