Mayor Shin Sangjin: "Ori Station Fourth Technovalley to Be Promoted by Mayoral Authority...Skipping Administrative Procedures"

Mayor Shin Sangjin Opts for ‘District Unit Plan Modification’ under City Authority
instead of Ministry of Land’s ‘Urban Innovation Zone’
Maximum Floor Area Ratio of 800% and Creation of 80,000 Jobs Planned
Pilot Projects Begin at Agricultural and Marine Products Distribution Center,
Court, and Prosecutor’s Office Sites
Mayor Shin: “Safeguarding the Golden Hour with Streamlined Administrative Procedures”

Shin Sangjin, Mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, will fully exercise the "mayor's administrative authority" instead of the cumbersome "central government approval" process to transform the Ori Station area into the Fourth Technovalley—a hub for artificial intelligence (AI) research and development and future mobility convergence.

Seongnam Mayor Sin Sangjin declared at a city hall press conference on the 29th that the development paradigm of Ori Station area will be completely revised. Photo by Jonggu Lee

The city plans to bypass the approval process of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, which could prolong the project, and instead adopt a method where Seongnam City holds direct decision-making authority, thereby maximizing the project’s pace.

On April 29, Mayor Shin declared at a city hall press conference that the development paradigm of the Ori Station area would be completely revised. The key change is a shift to the "district unit plan modification."

Initially, the city considered pursuing the "Urban Innovation Zone" designation led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. However, it was determined that the process of consultation and approval with central government ministries could require a significant amount of time.

Mayor Shin stressed, "Instead of a method where complex approval procedures risk prolonging the project, we will enhance administrative efficiency and execution by adopting a system in which the city can directly exercise its decision-making authority." This reflects his strong intention to fully utilize the powers of the mayor in order to seize the "golden hour" for the Ori Station development.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin declared at a city hall press conference on the 29th that the development paradigm of Ori Station area will be completely revised. Photo by Lee Jonggu

As part of this city-led development, Mayor Shin also unveiled bold incentives to attract private-sector participation. The city decided to increase the floor area ratio to a maximum of 800%, contingent on the attraction of advanced industries such as AI and future mobility and public contributions.

Through this decision, Seongnam City aims to transform the Ori Station area from a simple commercial district into a large-scale, "ultra-high-density advanced industrial complex"—2.4 times the size of the Lotte World Tower site. The Ori Station area, including commercial zones, covers a total of 170,000 pyeong (approximately 570,000 square meters). Of this, the five main sites—Agricultural and Marine Products Distribution Center (approximately 84,000 square meters), Court and Prosecutor's Office site (approximately 32,000 square meters), Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) site (approximately 37,000 square meters), Seongnam Postal Distribution Center, and garage site (approximately 37,000 square meters)—together account for about 200,000 square meters, which is equivalent to 29 soccer fields or about 2.4 times the size of the Lotte World Tower site.

Upon completion, the project will create an ultra-high-density advanced industrial complex with a maximum floor area ratio of 800% on the 170,000-pyeong (approximately 570,000-square-meter) Ori Station area site. If global anchor companies of the scale found in the First Pangyo Technovalley move in, it is expected to create between 55,000 and 83,000 high-quality jobs.

Additionally, the annual total sales of companies operating in the complex are projected to reach approximately 120 trillion to 180 trillion won, which is expected to significantly contribute to revitalizing the regional economy and expanding local government finances.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin declared at a city hall press conference on the 29th that the development paradigm of Ori Station area will be completely revised. Photo by Jonggu Lee

Mayor Shin Sangjin stated, "Establishing the Fourth Technovalley at the Ori Station area is a core driver to complete the diamond-shaped industrial belt promoted by Seongnam City. Through transparent and prompt administrative procedures, we will develop this area as the center of Korea's future industry and ensure it leads to a higher quality of life for citizens."

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