Demolition starts on Seoul's Bulgwang 5 redevelopment, 2,406 homes targeted by 2030
In short
Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul said demolition has begun on the Bulgwang 5 district housing redevelopment, with a kickoff ceremony held on Oct. 2, 21 years after a promotion committee was formed in 2005. The project, built by GS Construction, is planned to hold 2,406 households under the name Bukhansan Xi The Prestige, with demolition to finish by July next year and completion targeted for 2030.
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Eunpyeong-gu said on Oct. 6 that demolition has begun on the Bulgwang 5 district housing redevelopment in Seoul. The demolition kickoff ceremony was held on Oct. 2 at the Bulgwang 1-dong public parking lot, hosted by the district's project association and contractor GS Construction, with Mayor Kim Mi-kyung, association members and project officials attending, according to the district and Asia Economy. The district said it was the first shovel 21 years after a promotion committee for the project was formed in 2005. [ 1 , 3 ]
The project received implementation approval in 2021, selected GS Construction as its contractor in 2022 and received management disposition plan approval in 2024, the district said. Relocation began in September last year and was completed in about a year, it said. [ 1 , 3 ]
The site is to hold 2,406 households under the name Bukhansan Xi The Prestige, according to Asia Economy and Yonhap. The association aims to finish demolition by July next year, start main construction in October and complete the project in 2030, the district said. Korea Economic Daily's headline put the planned figure at 2,046 households, a different number from the other two documents; its article text did not address the project, and the documents give no explanation for the gap. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The district said it will focus on safety inspections at the site during demolition and construction and on reducing inconvenience to nearby residents from noise, dust and construction vehicles, and that it will continue administrative support for the project. [ 1 , 3 ]
At the ceremony the association donated 2,600 kg of rice, which the district said it will deliver to low-income households and other neighbours in need. [ 1 , 3 ]
Mayor Kim said safety is more important than anything else during demolition and construction, and asked the association and the contractor to pay careful attention to limiting inconvenience for nearby residents. [ 1 , 3 ]
Korea Economic Daily's coverage was limited to a headline on the project's transformation into a Bukhansan Xi complex, with the article body carrying unrelated items on the Seongsu 3 district contractor selection, the Hannam 3 district and GTX-linked property effects. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The project is one of the larger housing redevelopment sites moving into construction in Seoul, and the district says it will monitor safety and reduce noise, dust and construction-traffic disruption for nearby residents during demolition and building work. The outcome will shape local housing supply in Eunpyeong-gu in the 2030s, though the event itself has limited relevance outside South Korea.
Key facts
- Eunpyeong-gu said the Bulgwang 5 district redevelopment's demolition kickoff ceremony was held on Oct. 2 at the Bulgwang 1-dong public parking lot, hosted by the project association and GS Construction. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The district said the start of demolition comes 21 years after a promotion committee for the project was formed in 2005. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The project received implementation approval in 2021, selected GS Construction as contractor in 2022 and received management disposition plan approval in 2024. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Relocation began in September last year and was completed in about a year, according to the district. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The plan is to finish demolition by July next year, begin main construction in October and complete the project in 2030. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The site is to hold 2,406 households under the name Bukhansan Xi The Prestige, according to Asia Economy and Yonhap. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The association donated 2,600 kg of rice at the ceremony, which the district said it will pass on to low-income households and others in need. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said safety is the most important thing in demolition and construction and asked the association and contractor to look carefully at reducing inconvenience for nearby residents. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A demolition kickoff ceremony for the Bulgwang 5 district redevelopment was held on Oct. 2, hosted by the project association and GS Construction. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The district said demolition begins 21 years after the promotion committee was formed in 2005. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The project was approved in 2021, GS Construction was selected in 2022 and the management disposition plan was approved in 2024. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Relocation started in September last year and finished about a year later, the district said. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The association aims to finish demolition by July next year, start main construction in October and complete the project in 2030. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The association donated 2,600 kg of rice at the ceremony for distribution to low-income households. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The number of households planned for the site: Asia Economy and Yonhap say 2,406, while Korea Economic Daily's headline says 2,046. Two outlets, including the official wire, give 2,406; a single business outlet's headline gives 2,046, and its article text does not cover the project, so the discrepancy cannot be resolved from the documents.
- Whether any demolition work beyond the ceremony itself had started as of Oct. 6. The documents describe a demolition kickoff ceremony and a demolition schedule, but do not state that physical demolition work had begun.
- The exact time and full attendee list of the Oct. 2 ceremony. The documents give the date and venue and describe attendees by category, but no time of day.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The demolition kickoff ceremony is held at the Bulgwang 1-dong public parking lot on Oct. 2, hosted by the Bulgwang 5 district association and GS Construction, with Mayor Kim Mi-kyung, association members and project officials attending. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the start of demolition, saying relocation was completed in about a year and that the association targets completion in 2030. [ 1 ]
- Korea Economic Daily publishes a headline on the project describing it as turning into Bukhansan Xi with 2,046 households; its article text covers other redevelopment stories. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap carries Eunpyeong-gu's announcement of the Oct. 2 ceremony, the project's history and the demolition and construction schedule. [ 3 ]