The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) area in Seoul will be transformed into a cultural and tourism hub that combines entertainment companies, K-culture content, hotels, and green spaces.
On September 17, the Seoul City government announced that the 15th Urban Planning Committee had approved a revised plan to designate the DDP 1, 2, and 3 urban redevelopment areas. The targeted locations include Euljiro 6-ga 1-1, Sindang-dong 773, and Euljiro 299.
Once a center for the fashion industry, the DDP area has faced economic decline due to the shift to online shopping and the rise of Chinese e-commerce, leading to a vacancy rate exceeding 70% in some fashion stores. However, the DDP attracts about 17 million visitors annually, highlighting its potential as a tourism hub. The city aims to revitalize the area and establish it as a center for K-culture, particularly K-pop.
Incentives of up to 200% for entertainment companies
Entertainment companies that set up in the area will receive incentives allowing for a maximum floor area ratio of 200%. Additionally, businesses in the beauty and fashion sectors can benefit from a 50% increase in allowable floor area. Experience-based entertainment spaces will also receive up to 100% in floor area incentives, and registered performance venues can have their height limits relaxed by up to 20 meters. The plan encourages the development of K-culture infrastructure, including an open observation deck and performance spaces with views of the DDP and Hanyangdoseong.
The city also plans to expand tourism hotels. For hotels rated three stars or higher, the allowable floor area ratio can reach up to 150%, or a maximum of 240% depending on size. Establishing tourist information centers and luggage facilities can yield an additional 100% in floor area incentives.
Green spaces and pedestrian areas will also be enhanced. A 30-meter-wide east-west green corridor will connect the Sewoon district to the DDP, linking open spaces around the DDP. A media facade will be installed along Jangchungdan-ro to create a nighttime landmark.
This redevelopment plan serves as a master plan that will guide future private sector initiatives, with specific project plans to be finalized through community proposals and related procedures.
Kim Chang-kyu, head of the Seoul City Urban Space Headquarters, stated, "We will create a complex city that integrates a K-culture-centered cultural and tourism hub with green spaces."
Yonsei University to build innovation center and medical school
During the same Urban Planning Committee meeting, a revised plan for the detailed facilities of Yonsei University was also approved. The city announced that Yonsei University will construct an innovation growth facility and a medical school in the Sinchon area of Seodaemun-gu.
The innovation growth facility will be built on the site of the existing alumni hall, covering approximately 109,000 square meters and rising 17 stories. It will include an AI convergence college and specialized medical institutions for heart and cerebrovascular diseases, along with a 13,000-square-meter community facility for AI career experiences, entrepreneurship education, and open cultural classrooms.
The medical school will be constructed on the site of the existing Allen Hall and the Yonsei Medical Center administrative building, covering about 97,000 square meters and rising 11 stories. Construction for the innovation growth facility is set to begin in March 2028, while the medical school is scheduled to start in June 2027.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.