Seoul City and KORAIL announced plans today to turn the area around Yongsan Station into an international business district. [MoneyToday, Korean]
The district will include a 150-story building and an international ferry terminal.
Acquiring the real estate, however, looks like it will be a bit difficult, with some hard bargaining with local residents in store.
Work on the district should begin in 2010.
20 Comments
does that mean they’ll finally get around to closing down the streets a few blocks in front of yongsan station that are lined with the hookers (or sex workers for some of our European readers) in pink-lit windows? say it ain’t so.
Damn CMM beat me to the hooker joke.
…not if they accuse the property owners’ ancestors of collaborating with the Japanese.
If the yellow and red shaded areas in the original article’s map are accurate depictions of the land to be developed, the hooker alleys might not be looking at the wrecking ball just yet.
This is all part of a ‘waterfront renaissance plan’ - renderings of plans for other new waterfront ‘parks’ can be found here. It includes Yongsan, Icheon, Yeouido, Magok, Nanji-do, Ttukseom, Banpo, and Jamsil. Another name for the plan might be the ‘let’s drive up housing prices in these areas!’ plan (not that more park space is a bad idea, of course).
As for the Yongsan red light district, if I remember a comment (or post) here some time ago correctly, a new office tower (or set of) are supposed to replace the red light district before too long.
Where exactly is this artist’s misconception supposed to be? Are they going to reroute the Han to have it go near Seoul Station? And where did that canal come from?
The bulk of the land for this ptoject consists of the Korail train yard and yard facilities sites behind Yongsan Station and between it and Chuncha Sang-ga and extending southwest towards the river. The drawing is someone’s wet dream.
Looking closely at the picture… are those people in the Han River?
Wow, we’re being ambitious.
those aren’t people, those are baby 괴물’s.
This is exactly the kind of thing Korea needs to firmly seal its position as the finance and logistics hub of Asia. That and an international school and hospital, a website, and an army of snake oil salesmen.
#6 - I wondered that too. Isn’t Yongsan st. a good kilometer or so from the Han?
#11,
Maybe it’s just a really be ferry boat.
#6: D’OH! I meant to say “Yongsan Station.”
Anyway, I checked the linked map and see the pink lights will remain intact as far as this plan is concerned, but I’m with Bulgasari in remembering there was a mention on this site of another development plan covering the area directly east of the station. Maybe they can put the first four floors of that new skyscraper to the same use as at Orchard Towers.
Most of the area east of the Station is owned by three or four entities, one of which owns most of it, and they, particularly the latter, aren’t likely to sell or cooperate, unless (in the latter case)someone dies.
I was thinking of calling you to ask about that!
I was kind of hoping that Korean corporations had grown a little more comfortable and mature with its modernity to be pursuing projects like this . . oh, well.
I am certainly not a hydrological expert….but I am suspicious that the Han River, which is as I understand only 2 meters deep around this area…could safely play host to international ferries. Maybe an Ulleong-do style catamaran…but not an Incheon-sized ferry. Am I wrong on this?
What’s with the word “International”, gets bandied around a lot in Korea. “International” food festival-No International food.
“International school”-Only Koreans.
Oh look there’s a foreigner, this must be an “International” city.
Oh please, how pathetic!
Wow, looks great! Hope it’ll actually turn out to look great. Although the two towers in the front have a strong resemblance to the Petronas Towers, if I’m not mistaken…
#19: Well, considering Samsung Construction will probably build this thing (the Burj Dubai will be completed way before 2010), maybe someone thought they might appreciate a little nostalgia.
At 150 floors, these towers look like they’ll be right up there when finished with the
Chicago Spire without, y’know, looking like a gigantic ribbed dildo.