Songpa-gu district mayor makes reconstruction approval, parking relief his first acts in new term

On Tuesday, the first day of his new term, Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok signed two inaugural orders: approval of the implementation plan for the Jamsil Jugong 5 Complex reconstruction project, and a plan to ease parking enforcement to reduce the burden on residents.

The new term — the ninth elected cycle of local governance — is intended as a fresh start building on the achievements of the previous term, aimed at cultivating new growth engines for Songpa-gu and improving residents' quality of life. Seo has pledged to pursue a people-first, on-the-ground approach to administration under the banner of making Songpa-gu "an even better city to live in."

The Jamsil Jugong 5 Complex project has been in motion since 2003, but spent eight years on urban planning alone and repeatedly stalled over design competitions and other hurdles. The project gained real momentum during the previous term, when the district shifted its approach from regulatory enforcement to active support. It cleared the Urban Planning Committee in April 2024 and passed an integrated review in June 2025. The residents' association submitted its implementation plan application in December of that year.

Under the approved plan, the complex will be redeveloped to include 4,942 apartment units on residential land and 1,469 units on mixed-use land, along with retail, office and cultural facilities. The association plans to complete appraisals and pre-sale applications in the second half of this year, and to apply for management and disposal plan approval in 2027.

The second order addresses the everyday burden of parking. The measure aims to reduce the number of residents hit with fines from overzealous enforcement and to protect small business owners. Going forward, Songpa-gu's parking administration will shift from an enforcement-first to a guidance-first model. Enforcement will be suspended entirely on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It will also pause during weekday lunch and dinner hours. Delivery vehicles, moving trucks and construction vehicles will be subject to the same relaxed standards.

Absolute no-parking zones — including school zones and bus stops — will continue to be enforced at all times, regardless of the hour or circumstances.

"The success of Songpa-gu's administration in the previous term began with looking first at what was inconvenient for residents and fixing it," Seo said. "In this new term, I will continue that service-oriented governance — paying close attention so that residents feel real change in their daily lives — and build Songpa-gu into an even more livable, world-class city."