Who Owns the Apgujeong District 3 Parcels?

Hyundai Engineering & Construction and members of the Apgujeong District 3 Reconstruction Association are showing significant differences of opinion in lawsuits concerning the ownership of parcels (the registered unit of subdivided land) in Apgujeong District 3. The related cases are being heard separately by the Civil Division 48 of the Seoul Central District Court (presiding judge Kim Dokyun) and by Senior Judge Seo Hyeongju of the Civil Division 904 of the same court. The first hearing for the Civil Division 48 case was held on November 27, while the first hearing for the Civil Division 904 case took place on December 9.

During the hearings, Hyundai Engineering & Construction requested more time from the court, stating that it was “verifying the legal relations regarding ownership.” The company explained that it needed to examine how it acquired rights to the Apgujeong District 3 parcels and how much of those shares should be transferred to the reconstruction association members. Hyundai Engineering & Construction further stated, “The rights to the Apgujeong District 3 parcels involve not only Hyundai Engineering & Construction but also HDC Hyundai Development Company and the Seoul Metropolitan Government,” adding that a working-level council has been formed to clarify the legal relationships. The company argued, “If the plaintiffs (the Apgujeong District 3 reconstruction association members) receive more shares than they are entitled to, legitimate rights holders will suffer losses,” and insisted, “It is risky to transfer ownership prematurely before the legal relationships are fully established.”

In contrast, the Apgujeong District 3 reconstruction association members argued, “The ownership issue in Apgujeong District 3 arose because Hyundai Engineering & Construction failed to match the shares properly during the registration process for the collective buildings,” and insisted that “delaying the recovery of ownership is unacceptable.” They continued, “This case concerns the statute of limitations for acquisitive prescription, and there are few grounds for the defendant (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) to contest,” adding, “The plaintiffs have already completed the calculation of their shares in the parcels.” Under the Civil Act, acquisitive prescription allows a person who has possessed real estate peacefully and openly with the intention to own it for 20 years to acquire ownership through registration.

The courts presiding over both lawsuits announced that, while they would not close the hearings yet, they would continue the proceedings on January 27, 2026, taking into account the plaintiffs’ request for expedited procedures.

Apgujeong District 3 refers to 3,946 apartment units, including Hyundai Apartments Phases 1 through 7 and Phases 10, 13, and 14, located in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Most units are over 84 square meters in exclusive area, and the reconstruction cost is expected to range from 6 trillion to 7 trillion won.

The issue of parcel ownership in Apgujeong District 3 surfaced when it was revealed that Hyundai Engineering & Construction, HDC Hyundai Development Company, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government own nine parcels in Apgujeong-dong totaling 40,706 square meters. It is known that, during the development of Apgujeong-dong in the 1970s, the transfer of land share ownership was not properly completed. As a result, in August 2025, 77 members of the Apgujeong District 3 reconstruction association filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Engineering & Construction for the registration of ownership transfer, followed by another 52 members in September of the same year. According to Seoul’s “Maintenance Project Information Portal,” the number of Apgujeong District 3 reconstruction association members is 3,657, while the number of land and other property owners is 4,082.

Lee Sangwoo, Legal Times Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

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