38-Year-Old Dong Seoul Terminal Reborn as a 39-Story Complex

[Financial News] The 38-year-old Dong Seoul Terminal will be transformed into a massive complex space with 39 floors above ground. 
Seoul City announced on the 29th that it had modified and approved the 'Guui-dong 546-1 Area (Dong Seoul Terminal Site) District Unit Plan Designation and Plan Decision (Proposal)' at the 9th Urban and Architectural Joint Committee held on the 28th.
The Dong Seoul Terminal modernization project is a large-scale project to create a complex facility with 7 underground floors and 39 above-ground floors on a site with a total floor area of 360,000㎡. An underground passenger terminal and transfer center will be created to minimize traffic congestion and air pollution, and the ground will be designed as a space with views of the Han River. The upper levels will house commercial, office, and cultural facilities, and an observation deck will be created on the roof to enjoy panoramic views of the Han River and Seoul.
The public contribution of 138.14 billion won from Shinsegae Dong Seoul PFV (Shinsegae Property), which is in charge of the project, will be used for the construction of a direct connection ramp linking Dong Seoul Terminal and Gangbyeonbuk-ro. Additionally, public contributions will be invested in securing green rest areas in the city center and enhancing the flood control performance of the Guui Reservoir, including △ a pedestrian deck connecting the Han River and Gangbyeon Station △ exterior remodeling of Gangbyeon Station on Subway Line 2 and the plaza under the overpass △ ground and underground resident convenience facilities at Guui Park.
The Guui Park redevelopment project, which will utilize the underground of Guui Park as a temporary terminal during the Dong Seoul Terminal modernization construction period, will also be carried out. The Guui Park temporary terminal will maintain the minimum function of the existing terminal and will later be provided as a resident convenience facility through lower-level remodeling. The ground level of Guui Park will be increased to about 1.7 times the current green space, and in the long term, the ground will be a park, and the underground will be a complex cultural and sports space.
Opened in 1987, Dong Seoul Terminal has been a place where over 110 routes and more than 1,000 express and intercity buses operated daily for 38 years. Over time, the outdated facilities have caused safety issues and traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
In response, Seoul City introduced the pre-negotiation system for urban planning changes in 2009, selecting the area near Dong Seoul Terminal as a negotiation target, but faced difficulties in promoting modernization due to developer development plans and changes in land ownership. With the change of developer in 2021, based on the submitted proposal, negotiation coordination meetings and transportation and urban architecture task forces were held from August 2022 to September 2023, and with the proposal for district unit plan designation and plan decision in April 2024, this district and plan decision was made. 
The Dong Seoul Terminal modernization project is scheduled to be announced in June, and after completing individual permits and administrative procedures such as traffic impact assessment, architectural review, and building permits, construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and be completed by 2031.



going@fnnews.com Choi Ga-young Reporter