LH to redesign power transmission towers, accelerate underground cabling in new towns

Korea Land and Housing Corporation announced Monday it will install landscape-friendly transmission towers of a new design in the Namyangju Wanguk district, making it the first third-generation new town to adopt the concept.

Transmission towers are essential infrastructure for power supply but have long been regarded as unwanted structures because of the visual blight they create. LH said it has redesigned the towers to reduce that impact and better integrate them with the surrounding environment.

Earlier this year, LH held a public design competition in June titled "Transmission Towers Get a Makeover," inviting ideas from the general public. After three months of submissions and external judging, eight entries were selected from a total of 39 teams, with prizes totaling 14 million won ($10,400) — including a top prize of 5 million won. The winning designs will be used to inform future tower improvements.

Drawing on the submitted ideas, LH plans to break ground next year on the installation of landscape-friendly transmission towers within the Namyangju Wanguk district.

LH will also introduce a fast-track approach to underground cabling within the project area. Working through a joint cooperation body with Korea Electric Power Corporation, LH has shifted from a model in which it paid a contribution toward underground cabling work to one in which it directly commissions and manages the construction. By pursuing the temporary relocation of towers and underground cabling simultaneously, LH aims to accelerate the pace of housing supply.

"As the first public institution to redesign transmission towers to fit the surrounding landscape, we held a design competition and gathered public input," an LH official said. "We will continue to expand resident-friendly tower designs as we work to create cities where people want to live."

Meanwhile, the Namyangju Wanguk 1 and 2 new towns together form the largest of the third-generation new towns, covering 12.67 million square meters and located 3.5 kilometers from the Seoul city limits. Once fully developed, the area will accommodate approximately 80,000 households and 195,000 residents, and will share urban infrastructure with the Jinjeop 2 district and the Byeollae and Dasan districts.