Seoul to add 960 homes at CJ factory site in Gangseo-gu as Taereung, Dobong, Yongsan projects advance

A CJ Group factory site in Gayang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul will be redeveloped into a mixed-use complex combining about 960 residential units with office, industrial and retail facilities. Development plans for the areas around Taereung Ipgu Station, the Dobong transit-oriented area and the Yongsan Electronics Market also cleared the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban and Architecture Joint Committee.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that its 13th Urban and Architecture Joint Committee, which met Wednesday, approved with modifications a revised district-unit plan and detailed development plan for the CJ Group factory site in Gayang-dong.

The site, located in a semi-industrial zone, will be transformed into a mixed-use hub integrating residential, employment and leisure functions. Situated near Yangcheon Hyanggyo Station on subway Line 9 with easy access to Yangcheonno and the Olympic Expressway, the site is considered well-suited for linking jobs and housing — the Magok industrial complex lies to the west, and the Gayang and Deungchon residential development districts are nearby.

A development plan drawn up in 2022 divided the site into two knowledge industry center plots and one office and large retail plot, with construction beginning in 2025. Rising supply of knowledge industry centers and shifting market conditions dampened demand, prompting calls to revise the plan.

The city decided to convert one of the knowledge industry center plots into a residential site, supplying about 960 housing units. The remaining plots will proceed as originally planned with a knowledge industry center and office and retail facilities, preserving the semi-industrial zone's industrial and employment functions.

Community amenities will also be added. The site will include a senior health and leisure center and a space for youth entrepreneurship and community activities. Previously planned infrastructure — including a children's park and a public parking lot — will also be built.

The area around Taereung Ipgu Station will be redeveloped into a northeastern Seoul youth hub supporting startup, cultural and commercial activities. The site sits in a commercial zone served by a transfer station for subway Lines 6 and 7, with eight universities within a 3-kilometer radius. A youth culture street and youth market are already established in the area.

The city will overhaul the 35,733-square-meter district-unit plan, scrapping rigid lot-division requirements and mandatory joint-development designations and easing floor-area ratio and height limits. Developers will be able to secure up to 550 percentage points of additional floor-area ratio and up to 28 additional meters in building height.

A new floor-area ratio incentive for youth-oriented uses will also be introduced. Developers who incorporate youth-focused facilities — such as startup spaces, cultural venues and educational facilities — will be eligible for up to 80 percentage points of additional floor-area ratio. The city said it aims to expand spaces supporting youth entrepreneurship and economic activity while also encouraging the supply of youth housing.

The Dobong transit-oriented area will be redeveloped to strengthen its role as a public administration hub around the legal district. The area's original district-unit plan dates to 2007, and there have been growing calls to update it to reflect 19 years of change in local conditions.

The core of the revised plan is to remove existing height restrictions, excessive joint-development designations and maximum development scale requirements, encouraging more flexible development. A long-unexecuted school site will also be incorporated into the zone and designated as a special planning area. The city plans to secure public contributions during future development to fund the infrastructure the area needs.

Green space in the area will also be expanded. The city said it will link three-dimensional greenery and rooftop greening to floor-area ratio incentives, encouraging private developers to increase green space as they build.

The Yongsan Electronics Market area is accelerating its transformation into an office complex centered on new industries including AI and information and communications technology. Special Planning Zone 4, approved in this round, occupies a prime location at the Yongsan Electronics Market intersection.

The zone is planned to include a 20-story, 45,060-square-meter AI and ICT-focused office and neighborhood commercial facility with a floor-area ratio of 949 percent. Through the plan revision, the city will secure additional cash public contributions and build an 11-story public support facility and public parking lot on the site of the current Electronics Market Public Parking Lot No. 5.

Development is also under way across eight other zones — Electronics Land and its annex (Special Planning Zones 1 and 2), Najin Buildings 12 and 13 (Zone 5), Najin Building 14 (Zone 6), Najin Building 15 (Zone 7), Najin Buildings 17 and 18 (Zone 8), and Najin Buildings 19 and 20 (Zone 10) — bringing the total to eight active zones.

The public support facility is expected to house services the community needs, including a job and startup support center and a single-person household support center. The city said Special Planning Zones 8 and 10 have completed architectural review, while Zones 5 and 7 have received building permits and are set to break ground in October. Once development is fully under way, completion is expected in 2030 or 2031.