National Symbolic District International Competition Briefing Draws Strong Domestic and International Interest

Administrative City Construction Agency
18 Teams and 46 Companies Participate

Photo by Facilities Project Bureau, Administrative City Construction Agency

The Administrative City Construction Agency (headed by Kang Juyeop) held an on-site briefing session on September 17 for designers interested in participating in the international competition for the master plan of the National Symbolic District in the Administrative City.

The response on site to the National Symbolic District, where the nation’s top administrative and legislative institutions will be gathered in one place, was enthusiastic. A total of around 70 people from 18 teams representing 46 companies-including leading domestic and international experts and stakeholders in urban planning, architecture, and landscaping-attended, confirming the high level of interest in the competition.

The briefing session proceeded in the following order: an introduction to the competition guidelines, a Q&A session, and a site visit to the project location. Professor Hwang Jaehoon of Chungbuk National University, the general planner of the Administrative City and chair of the International Competition Steering Committee, explained the current status of the city’s construction, the purpose of the competition, and key guidelines. Professor Kim Donghyun of Sejong University, the lead researcher for the design competition management service, provided a detailed explanation of the evaluation criteria and specific guidelines for each section. This was followed by a Q&A session with the attendees.

The event continued with a site tour. Participants visited the area designated as the National Symbolic District, where they directly examined the project sites for the Sejong Presidential Office, the Sejong National Assembly Building, and the planned civic space, thereby deepening their understanding of the competition.

During the site visit, attendees raised specific questions on a wide range of topics, including: strategies for the organic connection between the Sejong Presidential Office and the Sejong National Assembly Building; the site location and building layout of the Sejong Presidential Office; transportation network planning; the establishment of green park axes; and the necessary functions to be introduced within the project area.

Choi Hyungwook, Director of the Facilities Project Bureau, stated, "The National Symbolic District is the new face of Korea, and it must be created through the collective wisdom of experts from various fields and the public," adding, "We look forward to the active participation and creative ideas of leading urban planning and architectural experts."

The international competition for the master plan of the National Symbolic District will accept submissions until November 20. After a public participation vote and expert evaluation, the winning entry is scheduled to be announced in mid-December.

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