The gas station site in front of Yeouido Saetgang Station in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, will be developed into an office facility after years of conflict with residents. An initial plan for a 29-story officetel was pushed, but residents of a nearby residential-commercial complex opposed it, citing privacy invasion and obstruction of views. The new developer changed the use to offices and lowered the height to 19 stories. The lot, which had remained vacant after demolition, recently saw heavy equipment move in as construction began.
According to the real estate industry on the 6th, construction recently began around 48-1 Yeouido-dong near Saetgang Station, an interchange station for Seoul Subway Line 9 and the Sillim Line. A 7-basement, 19-story-above-ground office facility with a total floor area of 17,642 square meters is planned for the site. The construction period runs until Oct. 30, 2028.
The land is a former gas station and car wash site once owned by SK Networks. Because it sits right in front of Exit 4 of Saetgang Station, the station-area parcel was considered to have significant development potential even within Yeouido. White Korea bought the site in 2020 for 33 billion won and sought to develop a high-end officetel with 7 basements and 29 above-ground floors. The gas station moved out in 2021, and with Yeongdeungpo District Office issuing a building permit in 2022, groundbreaking was planned for the same year.
But the project ran into opposition from residents of Daewoo Trump World 2nd. Daewoo Trump World 2nd is a residential-commercial complex up to 34 stories high, with two buildings arranged in an L shape around the parcel. Residents argued that if an officetel went up, the short distance between the apartments and the new building could lead to privacy invasion and obstruction of views.
Residents demanded the height be reduced to six stories or less. They also raised concerns about ground stability near Saetgang and the potential for soil and groundwater contamination due to the site's long use as a gas station. Residents formed an emergency response committee and continued their opposition by filing civil petitions with Yeongdeungpo District Office.
As the conflict dragged on, White Korea shifted course to sell the site. In July 2022, Seodo Corporation bought the land for 73.2 billion won. Compared with White Korea's purchase price, the simple sale price differed by 40.2 billion won.
The new developer pushed to build an office facility instead of a residential officetel. The number of floors was also reduced from the original 29 to 19. It then received building plan approval for office development from Yeongdeungpo District Office in 2024 and signed a construction contract in February. A start-of-construction filing has also been completed.
In the industry, changing the use from officetel to office is seen as a compromise to secure business viability while easing resident opposition. A real estate development industry official said, "Compared with residential facilities, office facilities tend to stir relatively fewer privacy concerns," adding, "That said, because these are business sites that have already experienced conflict, precise construction and information disclosure to reduce concerns about ground subsidence or cracking during the work are important."