11 Seoul Sites Selected as Candidates for Urban Public Housing Complex Project, Offering 18,000 Units... First New Selection in More Than Three Years

[Financial News] The government has newly selected 11 candidate sites in downtown Seoul for an Urban Public Housing Complex Project that will supply 18,000 housing units. It is the first time in more than three years that new candidate sites have been selected.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced on the 30th that it had selected 11 new candidate sites for the Urban Public Housing Complex Project, or urban complex project. The selection follows the government's "Measures for Rapid Housing Supply" announced on August 13.
MOLIT invited proposals for sites in Seoul from March 11 to May 8 and received resident proposals for 44 sites. The candidate-site review committee then comprehensively assessed statutory requirements, including building deterioration, project feasibility and resident support levels before finalizing the 11 sites.
The selected sites comprise two in Gwangjin District and one each in Gangseo, Guro, Mapo, Seocho, Seongbuk, Songpa, Yangcheon, Yongsan and Eunpyeong districts, spanning 10 autonomous districts. They are expected to provide approximately 18,000 housing units. By type, six are high-density residential-commercial districts developed around stations, while five are housing supply promotion districts focused on redeveloping low-rise residential areas.
The largest sites are the area south of Yeomchang Station in Yangcheon District, covering 117,900 square meters and providing 4,222 units, and the area north of Hyochang Park Station in Yongsan District, covering 93,262 square meters and providing 4,040 units. The latter was assessed as having excellent transportation conditions because it is adjacent to Hyochang Park Station, which connects Line 6 and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line.
Seocho and Mapo districts have been selected as candidate areas for the urban complex project for the first time. The site east of Isu Station in Seocho District covers 22,997 square meters and will provide 918 units. It is close to Isu Station, an interchange between Lines 4 and 7. The site near Mangwon Sports Park in Mapo District covers 31,090 square meters and will provide 940 units. Mangwon Hangang Park is a 10-minute walk away, and the site is adjacent to Gangbyeonbuk-ro, leading to favorable living conditions and transportation access.
MOLIT plans to hold resident briefings in October to explain project procedures for the new candidate sites. It aims to enable construction to begin in the second half of 2030 after designating the sites as planned districts in the first half of 2027. An additional call for proposals targeting the capital region will be held in the first half of next year. Sites not selected this time may reapply after securing greater resident support and making improvements such as changing district boundaries.
District designations for existing projects are also gaining momentum. Earlier this month, MOLIT designated two sites—the area west of Goeunsan in Seodaemun District and Mok 4(sa)-dong Gangseo High School in Yangcheon District—as complex districts, covering 6,786 units. On the 30th, it additionally designated three sites—the Songjung-dong community service center in Gangbuk District, Nokbeon-dong Neighborhood Park in Eunpyeong District and Singil 4 in Yeongdeungpo District—for a further 5,032 units. The five sites together cover 483,662 square meters and comprise 11,818 units.
The urban complex project is a public-led approach to rapidly supplying housing in urban areas by omitting procedures such as establishing a residents' association and preparing a management and disposal plan. It also provides greater incentives, including a higher floor area ratio, than private redevelopment projects. Projects are currently under way at 47 sites nationwide, totaling 85,000 housing units. The Jemulpo Station Complex District in Incheon Metropolitan City, which will provide 3,500 units, is expected to break ground within the year, marking the first construction start since the project was introduced in 2021.
A MOLIT official said, "The urban complex project is a key redevelopment tool that can quickly meet housing demand in urban areas. As the August 13 measures pledged to expand the urban complex project, we will provide support to ensure that follow-up procedures, including district designation and project-plan approval, proceed smoothly rather than ending with the selection of candidate sites."
[email protected] Jung Kyung-soo Reporter