The development of the Hanam Gyosan new city has entered full swing. Daewoo E&C has been selected as the private participant for the A-2 block (1,115 units), the first apartment in Hanam Gyosan, and construction of public housing under the 'Prugio' brand will begin in earnest in the first half of this year. The establishment of the 'AI and Data Industry Education and Research Innovation Cluster' anchor facility by Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) was also confirmed at the end of 2023. Currently, the approval for the Central Innovation District (CID) – a compact city with a 1,000% floor area ratio that integrates business, shopping, leisure, and residential functions – has been completed as of December last year.
The development work for the Hanam Gyosan new city consists of a total of four construction zones (three by Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and one by Gyeonggi Housing Corporation (GH)). Currently, LH has started construction on one zone, and GH has commenced construction on one as well. By the end of this year, LH plans to start construction on all remaining business sites, including the two they are responsible for.
The Hanam Gyosan new city has received high interest since its announcement as the third new city due to its proximity to the Gangnam living sphere. It is adjacent to the Wirye, Misa, and Gamgyeong districts and has good accessibility to the three districts of Gangnam. To improve access to Seoul, there are plans to extend Seoul Subway Line 3, and the city's periphery is adjacent to the First Gyeonggi Circular Highway and the Central Expressway. Approximately 34% of the total area of the new city will be developed as park greenery, compared to the average of 19% in the first new towns, contributing to a pleasant living environment. As of last December, housing construction volume has been increased to about 3,700 units through raising the floor area ratio, and accordingly, approximately 37,000 dwellings are expected to be occupied in the Hanam Gyosan new city.
The A-2 block, which is a public housing project slated to welcome its first residents in 2027, is being carried out unusually as a private-participation public housing project, deploying the private housing brand 'Prugio' instead of an LH brand. The aim is to diversify the public housing brands built in the third new city to enhance the choices available to residents. This block is the first private-participation housing project, with Daewoo E&C selected as the private participant in June last year, and will feature specialized facilities targeted at youth and newlyweds, including a care center, kids café, children's library, indoor playground, shared office, and community facilities.
Meanwhile, separate from housing construction, last year the Hanam Gyosan district swiftly confirmed the establishment of the 'AI Innovation Cluster' anchor facility. This is the second anchor facility for the third new city, following the establishment of a research campus for batteries and semiconductor materials involving SK Group, SK Innovation, and SK Energy in the Bucheon Daejang district. To facilitate this, LH plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), representing the consortium participants including Carnegie Mellon University (S3D), National University of Singapore, and KT Group. This year, specific discussions on resident agreements are planned.
The AI Innovation Cluster, which is to be developed over an area of approximately 70,000 square meters, is expected to require an investment of about 2.1 trillion won. The cluster will include a global multi-campus for acquiring AI master's and doctoral degrees and an AI training center to foster future innovative talent. For this purpose, joint research centers for global industry-academia-research collaboration, supercomputers, and AI data centers will be established to create a world-class research environment. It is projected that the establishment of the AI Innovation Cluster will create around 2,000 jobs, a residential population of 8,000, and a daily influx of 30,000 visitors.
The development plan for the special planning area in the Central Innovation District (CID) – the core area of Hanam Gyosan – is also in its final stages. The CID is a high-density compact city where business, shopping, leisure, and residential functions are integrated around Subway Line 3. Compact cities refer to urban development that concentrates shopping malls and convenience facilities around transportation networks, combining work, residence, and leisure functions in one location.
The large-area of the Innovation District is about 257,000 square meters, with a maximum floor area ratio of about 1,000% applied. Transportation facilities are connected not only to Subway Line 3 but also to bus rapid transit (BRT), express buses, and urban air mobility (UAM) intermodal transfer facilities. In addition to transportation facilities, hotel, convention centers, shopping centers, business hubs (shared offices, etc.), office spaces, residences, public rental housing, accommodation facilities, and observation decks will be constructed. At the end of last year, the district planning changes regarding the CID special planning area were finalized, and there are plans to select public application zones and determine operators through private business competitions.
A representative from LH noted, "Once the Innovation District and AI Innovation Cluster are completed, the ripple effects on the local industry and economy will be tremendous," adding, "We will focus LH's new town development capabilities to ensure Hanam Gyosan becomes a model case of a compact city where work, residence, and leisure functions are concentrated."