Groundbreaking for Public Parking Lot Construction at Samcheong Park Entrance, Jongno-gu

Jongno-gu to Begin Construction of a 170-Space Public Parking Lot Underground at the Site of the Seoul Armed Forces District Hospital This Year

Resident Briefing Session

Bird's-eye view of the public parking lot

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) is breaking ground this year to build a public parking lot with two underground floors and 170 parking spaces beneath the site of the Armed Forces Seoul District Hospital located at the entrance of Samcheong Park.

The realization of the parking lot construction, a long-cherished project of local residents for over 20 years, is expected to greatly improve the parking environment in the Samcheong-dong and Bukchon areas, as well as signal a positive turn for the local economy, which has been stagnant due to COVID-19.

Moreover, it is anticipated to resolve issues such as the deterioration of alleyway scenery near Bukchon Hanok Village and difficulties with fire truck access.

Samcheong-dong and Bukchon Hanok Village, representative areas of Seoul, are known for their high parking demand due to the mix of cultural facilities such as art galleries and museums, various commercial establishments, and residential areas with heavy foot traffic.

Therefore, the construction of a parking lot has been urgently needed to protect residents' right to live peacefully, prevent safety accidents, and respond to emergencies.

However, the site for the parking lot construction is state-owned land designated as an urban planning facility parking lot under the 2010 Bukchon District Unit Plan. Under the State Property Act, the construction of permanent facilities such as parking lots, sports facilities, or daycare centers for residents' convenience was practically impossible.

Jongno-gu requested an amendment to the relevant law, as enabling local governments to utilize state-owned land within the scope that does not interfere with the use of state property could enhance residents' convenience and increase land utilization.

In February 2019, a partial amendment bill to Article 18 of the State Property Act was proposed by former National Assembly member Chung Sye-kyun and 20 others, sharing this purpose. Subsequently, in March 2020, the law was finally amended to allow the construction of social infrastructure facilities such as cultural and welfare facilities, community sports facilities, and parking lots that serve public purposes, enabling local governments to utilize state-owned land through inter-agency cooperation.

The amended law came into effect in October last year. With active cooperation from the Presidential Security Service, the Defense Facilities Headquarters Southern Gyeonggi Facilities Unit, and the Armed Forces Seoul District Hospital, the district established a basic plan for the parking lot construction and signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure smooth project progress.

Since the parking lot will be built on the Armed Forces Seoul District Hospital site located at the foot of Bugaksan Mountain, it holds special significance in conjunction with the opening of the Bugaksan Dulle-gil trail in November 2020 under the Presidential Security Service’s “Open Blue House” policy.

Jongno-gu has completed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s investment review in March this year and is securing 12 billion KRW out of the total 22 billion KRW construction cost from national and city funds. Last month, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the overall supervising agency, approved the construction of permanent facilities on state-owned land, and construction is scheduled to begin within the year once the design is completed.

Meanwhile, the district has been steadily building public parking lots such as the “Myeongnyun-dong Waryong Public Parking Lot and Cultural Center” and “Sungin Dodam Public Parking Lot” to alleviate parking difficulties in residential areas of downtown Jongno.

In January this year, construction began on the “Buam-dong Mugyewon South Public Parking Lot and Cultural Facility,” with completion targeted for December.

Additionally, various projects that can solve parking issues with relatively low cost and time are continuously being implemented. Examples include the “Green Parking Project,” which provides financial support for creating parking spaces by removing fences or gates, and the “Resident Priority Parking Sharing Service,” which allows drivers who need parking spaces to share their unused parking spots during idle times.

Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “This public parking lot construction is a pioneering model where the national government and local governments cooperate to tackle both ‘residential parking difficulties’ and ‘regional economic revitalization.’ We will continue to tirelessly seek sites where land can be secured and expand social infrastructure, including public parking lots, to enhance residents’ convenience.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.