A district unit plan laying out the blueprint for the reconstruction of Gwangjang-dong Walkerhill Apartment, regarded as a flagship wealthy neighborhood in northern Seoul, has been released. The plan includes raising the zoning designation of Walkerhill Apartment Complex 2 to "Type 2 general residential area," the same as Complex 1, a change that had long hindered the reconstruction effort. That effectively lays the groundwork for an integrated reconstruction, but residents remain sharply divided over whether to rebuild together or separately, making it unclear how quickly they can reach agreement. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gwangjin District, the jurisdictional local government, also accounted for this, presenting both options by saying "depending on residents' intent, reconstruction can proceed in an integrated or separate manner."
According to the redevelopment industry on the 25th, Gwangjin District Office on the 23rd announced a draft for public inspection to designate and decide on a district unit planning zone for the Walkerhill Apartment area. The inspection period runs through May 7. A district unit plan is a development guideline that includes permissible zoning, floor area ratio, infrastructure scale, and building layout. Under the plan, the Walkerhill Apartment area will be designated a special planning zone. A special planning zone applies to areas within a district unit planning zone that involve large-scale mixed-use development or take a long time to plan.
Walkerhill Apartment is a high-end complex on the slopes of Achasan, facing south with a view over the Han River. Completed in 1978 ahead of Korea's first world championship, the shooting world championship, it was used as an athletes' village for foreign competitors before being sold to the general public. At the time, the reported sale price was about twice that of Apgujeong Hyundai Apartment, a symbol of wealthy neighborhoods in Korea.
Of the 14 buildings in Walkerhill Apartment, 11 buildings known as Complex 1 (Gwangjang-dong 145-8) are in a Type 2 general residential area, while the three buildings 51, 52, and 53 that make up Complex 2 (Gwangjang-dong 362) are in a natural green area with a maximum floor area ratio of only 100%. Because of this, since the early 2000s the two complexes separately pursued remodeling and reconstruction, but the redevelopment efforts repeatedly fell through. In 2022, a redevelopment plan to rebuild only Complex 1 separately even went to public inspection, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government put it on hold, halting the discussion. The city is said to have argued that an integrated reconstruction should be encouraged because Complexes 1 and 2 were completed as a single complex and share not only a management office and roads but also heating, electricity, and water.
If the zoning upgrade for Complex 2 goes through, momentum is likely to build for integrated reconstruction. However, the residents who have received approval from Gwangjin District to establish a reconstruction promotion committee are those advocating for rebuilding Complex 1 separately, while residents favoring an integrated reconstruction have formed a preparatory committee and are operating independently. In the process, last September the separate-reconstruction committee for Complex 1 sought an injunction against the integrated preparatory committee to bar obstruction of business, among other measures.
With tensions rising among residents, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gwangjin District are taking a cautious stance. A Gwangjin District Office official said, "The issue of separate versus integrated reconstruction for Walkerhill Apartment has existed for a very long time," and added, "Rather than pushing any particular method, we presented both options in consultation with the Seoul Metropolitan Government so as not to place a heavy burden on residents." The official went on, "From the public inspection stage, we have been preparing consultations with relevant departments of the Seoul Metropolitan Government to designate the district unit plan."