Delayed Sangam DMC Lotte Mall Development Project Back on Track... Completion Targeted for 2030

Abolishing Retail Space Ratio Restrictions

Enhancing Project Feasibility Through Parcel Integration

Establishing Coexistence Measures for Local Business Districts

Illustration of the Commercial and Office Land Development Project at Sangam Digital Media City (DMC). Seoul City

A 23-story commercial, cultural facility, and officetel complex will be built in the Digital Media City (DMC) area of Seoul.

On April 8, the Seoul city government announced that it has approved amendments to the district unit plan and the detailed development plan for the special planning zone within the Sangam housing site development project.

The site is located at 1625 Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu. Despite its status as a core location in the DMC, development had been delayed for a long period and the land was used as a public parking lot.

In 2011, the city designated this area as a special planning zone to attract a mixed-use shopping mall, and in 2013 sold the land to Lotte. Subsequently, the city withheld permits, demanding that Lotte reach a coexistence agreement with nearby traditional markets. Although a detailed development plan was established in 2021, the project did not progress due to changing business conditions.

The city explained that this plan amendment aims to resolve the prolonged stagnation and secure project feasibility. The large-scale mixed-use development, proposed by residents through Lotte Shopping, will create a complex shopping mall on the site, integrating shopping, cultural, and business functions.

The development will be constructed on a 20,644.1-square-meter site, consisting of an eight-story basement and a 23-story above-ground building. The layout will focus on retail facilities, combined with officetels and cultural spaces.

With this amendment, the city has abolished the restriction on the proportion of retail space and consolidated the previously separated parcels into a single lot, ensuring architectural cohesion and maximizing the efficiency of space utilization.

Along Seongam-ro, a transfer system will be created by linking subway entrances and bus stops to enhance public transit accessibility, and creative architectural design will be introduced to establish a landmark building representing Sangam DMC.

Through consultations between Mapo-gu and Lotte Shopping, plans have been made to open public spaces within the building to citizens and expand cultural facilities as part of coexistence measures that local residents can experience. During the process of establishing a large store, the city also plans to develop a regional cooperation plan in consultation with nearby traditional markets.

Following procedures such as architectural review and building permits, construction is scheduled to begin next year, with completion targeted for 2030. Once completed, the project is expected to create a commercial, cultural, and business hub in the Sangam DMC area, significantly strengthening urban competitiveness in the northwestern region and revitalizing the local community.

An Daehee, Director General of Urban Space Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "With this amendment to the detailed development plan, the foundation has been laid for the full-scale implementation of the long-delayed Sangam DMC commercial and business site development project. We will support the transformation of this site into a major mixed-use cultural space in the northwestern region, where work, residential life, and leisure are harmoniously integrated."

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