Jongno District Temporarily Eases Floor Area Ratio Regulations for Aging Residential Areas... Expands Customized Consultation Services

Mayor Jung Moonheon: "An Attempt to Bring New Possibilities to Old Neighborhoods"
Operation of the "Consultation Center for Legalizing Unauthorized Buildings"

Jongno District in Seoul (Mayor Jung Moonheon) announced on July 23 that, starting next month, it will temporarily ease building regulations and expand resident consultation centers to improve aging residential areas where development has stagnated due to regulations.

Jung Moonheon, mayor of Jongno District Office, is explaining the details at the residents' discussion meeting on deregulation of the natural landscape zone and height restriction zone in Jongno District last April. Provided by Jongno District Office.

This measure follows the revision of the Seoul City Urban Planning Ordinance and will be immediately applied to 10 district unit planning zones within the district, including the west side of Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon, and Daehak-ro, after the final decision and public notice in August.

Residential areas that have previously faced difficulties with new construction or remodeling due to floor area ratio restrictions will now be able to expand building sizes up to the maximum legal limit for the next three years. As a result, expectations for redevelopment projects in aging residential areas within the city center are rising. In particular, this easing of regulations will be applied immediately regardless of existing mandatory compliance conditions, and the procedures have been simplified as much as possible.

The district will also review rational ways to ease height restrictions by area in line with the increased floor area ratio, and plans to revise urban planning documents such as detailed plans for each district. The goal is to improve residents' living environments while preserving the unique dignity of the city.

Consultation services will also be significantly strengthened. Until December of this year, the district will operate the "Consultation Center for Legalizing Unauthorized Buildings" at 17 local community centers, providing guidance to help residents legally resolve unauthorized buildings caused by lack of awareness of regulations. Key consultation topics include guidance on building permits, the possibility of rectifying unauthorized structures, and consulting on the legalization process. Through these efforts, the district aims to prevent complaints and disputes related to construction in advance and to protect residents' property rights.

Jung Moonheon, mayor of Jongno District Office, stated, "Easing the floor area ratio is not simply about building bigger structures, but an attempt to bring new possibilities to old neighborhoods," adding, "We will do our best to make residents' living environments more pleasant and safe while preserving the unique atmosphere of Jongno, where history and culture are alive."

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