Viability Correction Factor 2.0 — Could a Premium Complex Rise at the Foot of Suraksan?

Nowon-gu in Seoul, led by District Mayor Oh Seung-rok, is holding resident briefings on reconstruction plans for the Sanggye Hansin 1st and 2nd apartment complexes, seeking public input on proposals that apply a viability correction factor of 2.0.

Both complexes are pursuing the designation process for reconstruction project zones, with a public review period running from May 28 through June 29.

The district has organized briefing sessions to walk residents through the details of the plans and gather their feedback. The session for Sanggye Hansin 1st will be held first, on June 12 at 7 p.m. in the main auditorium on the second floor of the Nowon-gu Office. The Sanggye Hansin 2nd briefing follows on June 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the small auditorium on the sixth floor of the same building.

According to the draft plans currently under public review, both complexes have been assigned the maximum viability correction factor of 2.0. The viability correction factor is a system that allows reconstruction projects with low commercial viability to secure additional floor area ratio, reducing the financial burden on union members and improving conditions for moving the projects forward.

With the factor applied, Sanggye Hansin 1st will see its unit count rise from 420 to 563 — an increase of 143 units — at a floor area ratio of 299.89 percent and a maximum height of 35 stories. Sanggye Hansin 2nd will grow from 471 to 580 units, adding 109 units, also at 35 stories and a floor area ratio of 299.74 percent.

Among nearby complexes that held their own plan briefings last year, Sanggye Hansin 3rd received a viability correction factor of 2.0 and Sanggye Boram Apartments received 1.8. If the plans proceed as drawn, the combined reconstruction of these complexes would deliver more than 6,000 new apartment units. Including a residential redevelopment project underway in the adjacent general residential area — covering approximately 216,364 square meters around 154-3 Sanggye-dong — the total is expected to reach roughly 10,000 units.

The draft plans now under public review will advance in parallel with resident briefings, consultations with relevant departments and input from the district council before being submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Planning Committee for deliberation. The district aims to formally designate the reconstruction zones and announce the finalized plans in the second half of this year. As viability conditions improve and neighboring reconstruction and redevelopment projects pick up pace, a broader reshaping of the residential landscape at the foot of Suraksan is expected to begin in earnest.

"Nowon's reconstruction is quietly getting back on track," District Mayor Oh said. "We will work to ensure this becomes a reconstruction that goes beyond improving aging living conditions and genuinely raises the value of the area."