Sejong Center rebuilding project wins government approval, boosting Seoul's 'Carnegie Hall' vision

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to overhaul the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun has cleared a key government review, clearing the way for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's vision of transforming the landmark into Seoul's answer to the Philharmonie de Paris.

The rebuilding project received conditional approval from the Ministry of Interior and Safety's central investment review committee on Oct. 15, according to city officials. "We received approval on the condition that we maintain the planned total project cost," a Seoul city official said. The project will draw on 445.2 billion won ($332 million) in city funds — up from the originally budgeted 436.6 billion won due to rising labor and raw material costs.

The rebuilding plan calls for expanding and remodeling the existing complex while preserving its exterior design. The interior will be fully renovated with state-of-the-art systems capable of staging musicals, operas and other performances. The small-theater wing on the left side of the complex will be expanded to house a new 1,805-seat classical concert hall dedicated to the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra — a venue the complex currently lacks. The chamber hall will grow from 443 seats to 550. The small-theater wing will also feature an outdoor video screen so any member of the public can watch live performances free of charge, and an outdoor performance and exhibition space will be created. The main theater wing on the right will be reconfigured to bring audiences closer to the stage, with seating expanding from 3,022 to 3,256. Groundbreaking is set for April 2030, with completion targeted for May 2036. The city said it aims to "link cultural resources across the Gwanghwamun area and fully remodel the facility into a future-oriented cultural complex — a world-class performing arts landmark on par with the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall in New York."

The Sejong Center, which opened in 1978, has long drawn criticism for aging facilities and poor acoustics. In response, Mayor Oh announced his vision to transform it into a "next-generation cultural platform" during a visit to the Philharmonie de Paris — a landmark cultural venue in the French capital — in October 2022.

The Philharmonie de Paris, which opened in 2015, is a multipurpose cultural complex housing a dedicated classical hall, a concert hall, an amphitheater, educational facilities and a museum of musical instruments. Designed by world-renowned architect Jean Nouvel, the venue is known not only for its striking spacecraft-like exterior but also for its vineyard-style seating that wraps around the stage in a concave arrangement, keeping audiences close to the performers. The maximum distance from the stage to any seat is just 32 meters — compared with up to 55 meters at the Sejong Center. During his visit, Oh said there had long been "an imbalance where Seoul residents who love culture and the arts had to travel all the way to Gangnam" — home to Seoul Arts Center — "to enjoy high-quality acoustics," and pledged to "spare no investment in achieving sound quality that will satisfy music lovers."

The rebuilding project was originally planned for completion in 2028, but the schedule was revised once. City officials determined that proceeding simultaneously with the second Sejong Center in Yeouido — set to break ground next year, in February 2027, and be completed in December 2029 — would place too great a strain on the city's finances. The timeline was ultimately pushed back from a 2025 groundbreaking and 2028 completion to a 2030 groundbreaking and 2036 completion.

Ahead of the main rebuilding work, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is already moving forward with a rooftop garden project at the Sejong Center. The plan calls for opening the underused rooftop to the public and creating green space, rest areas, an observation deck and a café, along with a new external elevator. The city aims to complete the rooftop garden as early as this year, with the goal of giving residents a cultural and leisure space to enjoy before the main construction begins.