Seoul's last shantytown takes first step towards redevelopment

An artist’s rendering shows the planned public housing complexes in the M and B2 blocks of Guryong Village in Seoul’s Gangnam District. The two blocks will contain a combined 2,120 housing units. Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government

SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - The planned transformation of Guryong Village, widely known as Seoul’s last remaining shantytown, moved a step closer after the city conditionally approved plans to build 2,120 public housing units in two core sections of the settlement.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that its Public Housing Integrated Review Committee, conditionally approved construction plans for the M and B2 blocks within Guryong Village in Gangnam District.

The review marks a key administrative step toward the city’s target of beginning construction in 2027 and completing the housing complexes by 2031. Seoul plans to seek approval for the housing construction plans in the second half of 2026.

Guryong Village is a settlement of unauthorized makeshift homes that has remained for decades in Gangnam, one of Seoul’s most affluent districts and home to some of the country’s most expensive real estate.

 

The village was formed as people displaced by demolition and redevelopment projects moved into the area during the rapid development of southern Seoul in the 1970s and 1980s. Its proximity to high-priced apartment districts has made it one of the most visible reminders of the displacement that accompanied Gangnam’s expansion.
 

A map shows the location of the Guryong Village urban development zone in Seoul’s Gangnam District and nearby residential complexes, roads and green areas. Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government

Under the conditionally approved plans, public housing complexes of up to 28 stories will be built in the M and B2 blocks.

The larger B2 block will contain 1,820 homes on a 52,718 square-meter site. The complex will include 643 integrated public rental units and 1,177 long-term lease homes under Seoul’s Mirinae House program.

The M block will add 300 homes on a 12,901 square-meter site, comprising 115 integrated public rental units, 165 Mirinae House units and 20 units for public sale. Buildings in the block will rise to a maximum of 15 stories.

The city plans to provide units ranging from 31 to 59 square meters, or about 330 to 635 square feet. The plans may be revised during the remaining approval process.

Seoul said the complexes will be arranged to preserve as much of the surrounding natural environment near Mount Daemo and Mount Guryong as possible.

Pedestrian routes will connect the residential buildings with neighborhood parks, community facilities and surrounding green spaces. The project will also incorporate high-insulation and airtight exterior systems, renewable energy facilities and other low-carbon design features.

“This review has put the supply of more than 2,000 public housing units in Guryong Village on track,” said Myeong No-jun, head of Seoul’s Housing Office.

“The project will significantly improve housing conditions in Guryong Village while contributing to housing stability by supplying quality homes in Gangnam, where demand remains high.”
 

Debris, scrap metal and discarded household items fill a narrow passage between moss-covered shanty structures in Guryong Village, Seoul, South Korea. AJP Han Jun-gu