63cm Taller Kimpo Apartment Uninhabitable... Excess Part Reconstructed

Violation of Gimpo Airport Altitude Restriction Leads to Reconstruction
Construction Completed in March, Over 2 Months Past Scheduled Move-in Date

The apartment construction company that caused a delay in move-in due to exceeding the height limit around Gimpo Airport will undertake reconstruction work to lower the building height.

The Gimpo Gochon Station Regional Housing Association announced on the 22nd that the contractor for the 399-unit apartment in Singok-ri, Gochon-eup, recently submitted a reconstruction plan to the association. This apartment, located 3 to 4 km from Gimpo Airport, should be no taller than 57.86 meters according to the airport facility law height restrictions, but 7 out of the 8 buildings were constructed 63 to 69 cm higher than this limit. As a result, the contractor was unable to obtain apartment usage approval from Gimpo City and decided to reconstruct the rooftop elevator penthouse.

Newly constructed apartment in Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do undergoing reconstruction due to exceeding height restrictions
[Photo by Gimpo Gochon Station Regional Housing Association, Yonhap News]

The work will involve dismantling the reinforced concrete rooftop structure and reinstalling it to comply with the height restriction. Additionally, the aluminum decorative structures on the rooftop railings, which were constructed 30 cm above the height limit, will also be dismantled and reconstructed. The construction company expects that if work begins promptly by the end of this month, the reconstruction can be completed by March 1.

The scheduled move-in date for this apartment was the 12th of last month. Previously, 55 out of the 399 households had applied to move in within two months of the scheduled date. However, as the reconstruction completion date will exceed this period, the residents are inevitably facing inconvenience. The contractor plans to provide temporary housing and prepare compensation measures for residents who find it difficult to move in as planned.

Due to the move-in delay, residents are experiencing difficulties such as disruptions to their children's school enrollment and loan repayments, as well as the inconvenience of having to stay in hotels or other accommodations due to the lack of immediate housing. The residents requested temporary usage approval from Gimpo City, but the city stated that it cannot grant approval because the apartment was constructed in a manner inconsistent with the conditions presented at the time of building permission.

A representative of the association told Yonhap News, "The entire elevator will not be reconstructed; only some height reductions will be made," and added, "We plan to confirm the damage situation for each household and discuss specific compensation measures with the contractor." A Gimpo City official said, "The detailed reconstruction plan has not yet been submitted," and added, "Once the reconstruction plan is received, we will review the contents and decide whether to approve it."

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