Into the History of the Oldest 'Chungjeong Apartment' Built During Japanese Occupation... Creation of a 28-Story Apartment Complex

The oldest residential complex in the country, located at Chungjeong Apartment in Chungjeongno 3-ga, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, will be replaced by a multi-family housing complex with up to 28 floors and 192 units.

Exterior of Chungjeong Apartment. It was a landmark of Seoul at the time of its construction.

On the 22nd, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it held an urban planning committee meeting the previous day and approved a revised plan for the "Mapo-ro 5 District 2 Zone Urban Maintenance-type Redevelopment Area and Maintenance Plan Amendment."

The Mapo-ro 5 District, which includes Jungnim-dong and Sunhwa-dong in Jung-gu, as well as Chungjeongno 3-ga and Hapdong areas in Seodaemun-gu, was designated as a district in September 1979 and currently consists of 14 project implementation zones. Among the 14 zones in Chungjeongno 3-ga, 8 zones have been completed or are under implementation, while the 2nd zone remained unimplemented. The 2nd zone was initially designated as a redevelopment area in September 1979 but was changed to an urban environment maintenance area in June 2009, resulting in over 40 years of stalled development.

With this decision, the Mapo-ro 5 District 2 Zone will see the construction of a multi-family housing complex with a total floor area of approximately 42,000㎡, ranging from 5 basement floors to 28 floors above ground. Among these, floors 5 to 28 above ground will house 192 residential units. The three floors adjacent to the ground (2nd floor above ground to 1st basement floor) will include neighborhood living facilities aimed at revitalizing the urban streetscape, floors 2 to 3 above ground will feature social welfare facilities donated through building contributions, and the 4th floor above ground will be allocated for community facilities for residents.

Chungjeong Apartment, located in the 2nd zone, is the oldest apartment in Korea, completed in 1937 (according to the Seoul building register) during the Japanese colonial period. It is the first reinforced concrete apartment in Korea, with records indicating it was built in 1932. During former Mayor Park Won-soon's tenure, it was decided to preserve the building as a local heritage site, but due to ongoing safety concerns and resident conflicts, the urban planning committee decided to demolish it in June last year.

After the complete demolition of Chungjeong Apartment, a public open space will be created at the current site to serve as a memory space where the apartment once stood. The urban planning committee discussed specific plans for how to create this public open space. The city plans to preserve records within the open space using various formats and content, including 3D scanning, to capture the value of Chungjeong Apartment.

A Seoul city official stated, "With this amendment to the maintenance plan, redevelopment of the long-neglected Mapo-ro 5 District 2 Zone can proceed, which is expected to revitalize the Chungjeongno station area, improve the urban landscape, and stimulate local development."

Aerial View of District 4-1, Mapo Urban Maintenance-Type Redevelopment Area in Sinchon District

Meanwhile, the urban maintenance-type redevelopment zones 4-1, 10, and 12 in the Sinchon area of Mapo also passed the urban planning committee. These areas will supply 688 residential units (including 133 public rental units) and 60 officetel rooms.

To foster and support youth startup activities linked with nearby universities such as Sogang University, Yonsei University, and Ewha Womans University, a Youth Startup Support Center will be established in Mapo 4-1 Zone, a Startup Support Center in 4-10 Zone, and a Youth Startup Support Center in 4-12 Zone in the Sinchon area.

Additionally, the "Onsu Station Area District Unit Plan Amendment and Seoul Garden Villa Reconstruction Maintenance Plan and Maintenance Zone Designation" was also approved with modifications. Accordingly, the 15 buildings comprising 339 units of the old row houses of Seoul Garden Villa in Guro-gu, completed in 1987, will be reconstructed into 8 apartment buildings with 688 units (including 74 public housing units).

A Seoul city official said, "Once the reconstruction of Seoul Garden Villa is completed and large-scale development projects around Onsu Station, including the Rugby Stadium Special Planning Zone and the reconstruction of Daehung, Seongwon, Dongjin, and Wooshin Villas, are finalized, the residential environment in the area will be greatly improved."

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