The area around Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul will be recast as a mixed-use urban district combining the entertainment industry with tourism and cultural facilities, centered on K-pop. Entertainment companies that move in will be granted up to 200% in additional permitted floor area ratio, and the city will also encourage the addition of hands-on entertainment spaces, concert halls and related venues.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 17th that its Urban Planning Committee, at a meeting on the 16th, approved with revisions the designation of redevelopment zones and the redevelopment plans for DDP Zones 1, 2 and 3. The redevelopment plan serves as a master plan that private developers will follow when they pursue projects, with detailed business plans to be finalized later through resident proposals and related procedures.
The DDP area grew as a hub of the fashion industry in the past, but commercial activity has hollowed out sharply, with vacancy rates at some fashion malls now exceeding 70%. Tourist demand, by contrast, has held up, with about 17 million visits to DDP in 2024. The city says the area also has potential because it can be linked with nearby natural and cultural assets such as Cheonggyecheon stream, Heunginjimun gate and Naksan.
The city plans to use those locational advantages to develop the DDP area into a K-pop hub. To that end, entertainment-related companies that move in will receive up to 200% in additional permitted floor area ratio. To revive the area's struggling beauty and fashion businesses, the city also prepared a measure granting up to 50% in additional permitted floor area ratio when such businesses are secured.
Tourist hotels will also be expanded to create a destination where visitors can stay longer. Projects that include hotels rated three stars or higher will receive up to 150% in additional permitted floor area ratio or up to 240% in maximum floor area ratio, depending on the scale. Installing amenities such as tourist information centers and luggage centers can qualify for floor area ratio incentives of up to 100%.
Cultural infrastructure offering direct experience of K-culture will also be built. Developers that create hands-on entertainment spaces will receive floor area ratio incentives of up to 100%. Those that install registered performance venues may be granted height easing of up to 20 meters. The city also plans to encourage media facade installations along Jangchungdan-ro to create a nighttime landmark.
Green space and pedestrian areas will be expanded as well. Linked to the north-south green corridor running from Jongmyo Shrine to Namsan, a 30-meter-wide east-west green corridor will run from the Sewoon district to DDP, using parks and open green spaces. The city plans to connect open spaces around DDP and add rest facilities such as shade and benches to build a walkable environment where residents and tourists can stroll and linger.
"This decision on the redevelopment plan sets out guidelines that can restructure the stagnant DDP area," said Kim Chang-gyu, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Space Division. "We expect the DDP area to be transformed into a world-class cultural space with a steady stream of tourists by developing it as a mixed-use city where K-culture-centered cultural and tourism hubs blend with green space."
