Sangam Ferris Wheel 'Seoulling' Public Hearing to Be Held... Will It Win Residents' Support?

216m Giant Ferris Wheel Planned for Sangam-dong
Following Last Year's Residents' Briefing, Public Hearing to Be Held
Focus on 'Environmental Impact Assessment'
Traffic Measures to Be Discussed After Operator Selection

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold a public hearing on the giant Ferris wheel 'Seoulling' and the complex cultural facility planned to be built in the Sangam-dong area of Mapo-gu. At the residents' briefing session held at the end of last year, concerns from residents poured out regarding everything from site selection to traffic measures, and attention is focused on whether these issues will be resolved at the public hearing.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 16th, the city will hold a public hearing on the 'Draft Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the Seoul Giant Ferris Wheel and Complex Cultural Facility' at 2 p.m. on the 23rd in the underground interview room of Sangam World Cup Park. This session is intended to gather residents' opinions on the main points of the draft report as well as on traffic and environmental issues.

A bird's-eye view of the giant Ferris wheel 'Seoulling' in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Seoulling, initiated as part of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's 'Great Hangang' project, is the world's first 216-meter-tall 'Twin Hill' giant Ferris wheel to be constructed in the Peace Park area within Sangam World Cup Park. The plan includes a complex facility with a performance hall and dining restaurants, aiming to develop it as a landmark in the western region of Seoul. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with an opening planned for 2029.

In November last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held a residents' briefing session based on the draft strategic environmental impact assessment report, but residents expressed critical opinions. In particular, they pointed out worsening traffic congestion due to a surge in tourists and disharmony with the nearby incineration plant. Since the project involves building on what is currently a resting space for existing Mapo-gu citizens, there was also significant interest in the extent of 'benefits for residents.' One citizen said, "If it is built at the currently anticipated location, an enormous number of tourist buses will enter daily, turning the living environment into something like hell. Please reconsider the site thoroughly."

After residents requested additional explanations, the city decided to hold a public hearing. According to the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, a public hearing must be held if ▲30 or more residents submit opinions requesting the hearing, or ▲5 or more residents submit opinions requesting the hearing and these opinions constitute more than 50% of the total residents who submitted opinions on the draft strategic environmental impact assessment. Unlike the residents' briefing session, which only involved the project proposer, the strategic environmental impact assessment agency, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, experts will also be invited to this public hearing.

However, it is highly likely that clear traffic measures will not be concretized this time either. This public hearing is also based on the draft strategic environmental impact assessment report, which focuses primarily on the environmental impact. It is not yet at the stage of evaluating local traffic conditions or impacts. The residents' opinions collected during the briefing session and the public hearing will be referenced in preparing the 'final strategic environmental impact assessment report.' After completing the final report and concluding the feasibility study conducted by the Korea Development Institute (KDI), which evaluates business viability, the project operator will be selected through a third-party announcement. Only after the operator is selected will full discussions such as traffic impact assessments proceed.

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