Gangbuk-gu, 33-Year Resident Wish Fulfilled with Eased Altitude Restrictions on Bukhansan

On the 30th, Seoul City Announces ‘New Height Restriction Zone Plan’

Height Limit Raised from 20m to 28m, Redevelopment Allowed up to 15 Floors

District Mayor Lee Soon-hee: “Victory for Residents, Accelerating Redevelopment, Reconstruction, and Shin-Gangbuk Line Attraction”

The height restrictions around Bukhansan in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) have been eased for the first time in 33 years, signaling a positive outlook for regional development. Redevelopment and reconstruction projects are expected to be revitalized, increasing the area's value.

On the 30th, Seoul City announced the ‘New Height Restriction Zone Plan’ at the Chamirisa Memorial Hall of Duksung Women’s University. The core idea of the plan is to shift from uniform regulations on height restriction zones to ‘rational management’ that citizens can empathize with. In the second general residential area, the current height limit has been relaxed from 20m to 28m, and during redevelopment projects, it has been further eased to a maximum of 15 floors, or 45m.

On the day, Mayor Oh Se-hoon explained, “We have reorganized regulations by region to preserve Seoul’s major landscapes while improving the urban environment, and boldly lifted restrictions in areas where effectiveness was low.”

The height restriction zone around Bukhansan was first designated in December 1990 to protect the landscape. The total area is 3.56㎢, of which 67.3%, or 2.39㎢, is located in Gangbuk-gu.

The old height restriction zone includes Samyang-dong, Suyu 1-dong, Ui-dong, and Insu-dong. Buildings in this area were limited to 5 floors and under 18m, resulting in 66.4% of buildings being over 30 years old. This is 16.9% higher than Seoul’s overall old building ratio of 49.5%, making residential environment improvement urgent.

Mayor Lee Soon-hee, immediately after taking office last year, initiated the ‘2040 Gangbuk-gu Urban Development Plan Establishment Project’ and has been seeking rational solutions regarding height restrictions.

In October last year, together with Dobong-gu, the district petitioned Seoul City on the necessity of height restriction adjustments, and in November, met with Mayor Oh Se-hoon to explain and persuade him about the irrationality of Gangbuk-gu’s height restrictions.

Additionally, a ‘Resident Petition Signature Campaign for Bukhansan Height Restriction Relaxation’ was conducted targeting residents. The ‘Resident Promotion Group,’ composed of representatives from the height restriction zone, collected 33,806 signatures over two months and submitted them to the city, petitioning for deregulation.

The ‘New Height Restriction Zone Plan’ announced by Seoul City on this day reflects the main contents of the height restriction deregulation items proposed by Gangbuk-gu as they are.

Mayor Lee Soon-hee said, “The long-standing grievance of residents regarding height restrictions has been resolved, and this is the result of continuous communication and joint efforts by residents and local politicians in petitioning Seoul City.” She added, “Going forward, we will accelerate redevelopment and reconstruction projects and succeed in attracting the Shin-Gangbuk Line, developing Gangbuk-gu into a better place for children and youth to live.”

The New Height Restriction Zone Plan will be open for public inspection from July 6 to 20, followed by hearings with the City Council, strategic environmental impact assessments, and review by the City Urban Planning Committee, with final confirmation expected around the end of the year.

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