Seoul's Hannam 3 redevelopment district in Yongsan-gu is pushing ahead with infrastructure work and a revised project implementation permit at the same time, aiming to break ground by the end of this year. Once Hannam 3 finishes demolition and begins main construction, it will mark the first step in transforming the Hannam Redevelopment Promotion District — known as Hannam New Town — into a large residential area of more than 12,000 homes.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 16th that its 19th Integrated Deliberation Committee on redevelopment projects, held on the 15th, had conditionally approved the integrated review plan for the Hannam 3 housing redevelopment project.
Hannam 3, which covers 386,364.5 square meters across the Hannam-dong and Bogwang-dong areas, is in the final stage of demolition, with 99% of existing buildings taken down. The plan is to complete demolition this year and move into main construction.
Rather than clearing the remaining steps one after another, the city plans to run them in parallel to shorten the timeline. Hannam 3 consists of eight blocks and 13 apartment housing lots, requiring internal roads and building sites to be laid out before apartment construction begins. The city will pursue a revised project implementation permit reflecting the integrated review outcome while also preparing road work, part of the district's infrastructure, with a start planned for this year.
A Seoul city official said preparing road work alone normally takes at least three to six months after a project implementation permit is granted, but Hannam 3 can shorten that period by running the procedures concurrently. The official said the move is intended to pick up speed so that construction can begin within the year.
With Hannam 3 breaking ground, the rest of Hannam New Town, where redevelopment has dragged on for years, is also expected to enter construction in stages. Hannam 2, where residents are currently relocating, is targeting a groundbreaking in the second half of next year. Hannam 4 and 5, which are preparing to apply for management and disposal plan approval, are planning to start construction in the first half of 2031. Hannam 1, whose project stalled after the area lost its redevelopment designation in 2017, is preparing a fast-track planning proposal.
When these projects are finished, the residential landscape around Hannam-dong and Bogwang-dong will change substantially. Districts 2 through 5 alone, where plans have taken concrete shape, will supply a combined 12,430 homes. If District 1 is developed as well, the aging low-rise residential belt stretching from the foot of Namsan to the Han River is expected to be recast as a new residential area of more than 13,000 homes. That is larger than the 12,032-unit Olympic Park Foreon complex in Gangdong-gu and the roughly 12,000 homes in the Apgujeong apartment district.
An official in the redevelopment industry said that as Hannam 3 breaks ground and later districts enter construction in turn, Hannam New Town will take on the status of a central residential area linking Apgujeong and Banpo.
Hannam 3 will also supply a large volume of public rental housing. A total of 5,970 homes will be built across 123 buildings of up to 21 stories, of which 1,020 will be public rental units. An elementary school, seven parks, a public office building, social welfare facilities and parking will be built alongside, forming a self-contained neighborhood.
Building heights and layouts will follow the contours of the hilly terrain between Namsan and the Han River, and a landscape plan takes views of the mountain and the river into account. Greenery and landscaped space will be placed along Usadan-ro and public pedestrian passages to create shaded walkways. The integrated deliberation committee asked that the plan be revised to avoid excessive retaining walls given the topography.
Myung Noh-jun, head of the Seoul city housing bureau, said Hannam 3 is a landmark project representing Seoul, and that residential satisfaction will rise considerably with 5,970 homes built together with schools, parks and other infrastructure. He said the city will closely manage the permit process going forward to support swift delivery of large-scale housing supply.
