Daejeon's aging planned districts to undergo major redevelopment

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Daejeon Metropolitan City announced Wednesday that they have designated two zones in the Dunsan district and one zone in the Songchon-Jungni-Beopdeong district as pilot areas for aging planned-city redevelopment, launching a full-scale push to improve deteriorating residential environments and build future-ready urban spaces.

The designated areas are Zone 14 of the Dunsan district — encompassing the Hangaram and Gongjak Hanyang apartment complexes, totaling 2,454 households — and Zone 13, covering the Mongnyeon and Clover complexes with 2,798 households. In the Songchon-Jungni-Beopdeong district, Zone 6 — home to the Boram and Samik Sowol complexes — covers 2,545 households.

These areas will be the first in Daejeon to draw up special redevelopment plans and move into full project implementation. The planning experience, resident participation models and project management frameworks built up in the pilot zones are expected to spread to other redevelopment-designated areas across Daejeon and eventually to aging planned-city renewal projects nationwide.

The ministry plans to support the pilot zones through every stage — from drafting special redevelopment plans to project execution — to help establish Daejeon as a leading model for renewing aging planned cities outside the Greater Seoul area.

Starting in August, the ministry's designated redevelopment support agencies — including Korea Land and Housing Corporation, the Korea Real Estate Board and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements — will hold briefing sessions and one-on-one consultations for residents and local government officials in the Daejeon pilot zones.

Yun Yeong-jung, the ministry's housing redevelopment policy director, called the designation "an important step in expanding aging planned-city redevelopment nationwide, following the first-generation new towns in the Greater Seoul area and Busan," and pledged to provide "close support through every stage, from planning to implementation."

Meanwhile, Daejeon becomes the second city outside the Greater Seoul area to have aging planned-city pilot zones designated, after Busan. The ministry said it plans to designate pilot zones for Incheon's aging planned cities later this year, continuing to expand the program nationwide.