Changsin·Sungin Redevelopment '10 Years Adrift' Ends with Confirmation... Oh Se-hoon "Resident Unity Needed" (Comprehensive)

"It seems that the redevelopment plan for Changsin and Sungin-dong has taken shape to some extent through the rapid integrated planning. Until now, there has been a stalemate between pros and cons, leaving behind an unfortunate situation where neglected and marginalized areas remain in the heart of the city. From now on, a unified will of the residents is required."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is visiting the rapid integrated planning redevelopment candidate sites in Changsin and Sungin, Seoul, on the 5th, engaging in conversations with residents. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the morning of the 5th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the areas of Changsin-dong 23 and Sungin-dong 56 in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the new integrated redevelopment plan was finalized, and made these remarks while inspecting the site. It has been about 1 year and 3 months since Mayor Oh last visited these areas in March of last year. On that morning, Rep. Choi Jae-hyung of the People Power Party and Jung Moon-heon, head of Jongno-gu Office, also joined to listen to local residents' opinions and review the plan.

The Changsin-dong 23 and Sungin-dong 56 area covers a total of 104,853㎡ and is a hilly terrain surrounded on three sides by the Hanyang Fortress Wall and Naksan Hill. Due to the steep average slope of 19%, the transportation and residential environment are poor. The roads are so narrow and steep that emergency vehicles like fire trucks have difficulty accessing the area, and the proportion of old buildings in the region reaches 90%, raising ongoing concerns about safety risks.

Mayor Oh said, "Among the 2,000 new households to be built, more than 15%, about 360 households, will be rental housing for local residents and those in need. Through social mix, by blending rental housing with sale housing so that no one can tell which floors or units are rental, we can minimize criticism that the original residents’ resettlement rate might be low."

He added, "It is unimaginable to have neglected and underdeveloped areas remaining in the heart of the city. Although there are mixed opinions for and against redevelopment, if the residents unite their hearts, the project can proceed rapidly."

The area had been designated as a New Town (reconstruction promotion project) since 2007 but faced setbacks when the district designation was canceled in 2013. Subsequently, it was designated as Seoul’s first urban regeneration pilot area aimed at improving the aging residential environment, but the effects on housing supply and residential environment improvement were limited. After Mayor Oh took office, the area was selected as the first target of the new integrated planning in December 2021, and a residents’ briefing session on the Changsin-Sungin housing redevelopment project candidate site was held last month.

According to the newly announced integrated plan, this area is expected to be transformed into a 2,000-unit urban residential complex specialized for hilly terrain by utilizing the existing topography. Among these, about 360 units will be rental housing.

Additionally, the city plans to efficiently use land by relocating and consolidating underutilized and abandoned facilities that harm the residential environment through complex development. The quarry, cleaning vehicle garage, and Jibonggol Park on the west side of the district will be integrated to create a larger park, while waste treatment facilities previously located within the district will be built beneath the park.

Moreover, the plan considers the overlapping landscape where buildings are layered along the hills, harmonizing with the surrounding Seoul Fortress Wall and Naksan to establish the entire complex as a new urban landscape of the hilly area. Tailored height plans have been established for each zone considering the hills and surroundings: high-rise near Changsin Station, low-rise near cultural assets and schools such as Cheongryongsa Temple, and mid-to-low-rise on slopes. To secure open views and vistas throughout the area, two visual corridors connecting the quarry observatory to Sungin Neighborhood Park and Jibong-ro will be created.

The city plans to start drafting the maintenance plan according to the new integrated planning for Changsin and Sungin and finalize it by the end of this year.

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