Jongno-gu to Revise District Unit Plan Amid Surge in Bukchon Hanok Experience Businesses

A Surge from 47 in 2020 to 168 Today
Considering Restrictions on New Registrations in the Gaheo-dong Area

On June 1, Jongno-gu District of Seoul announced that it will proceed with revising the Bukchon District Unit Plan to alleviate inconveniences for residents and protect the local living environment, in response to the rapid increase in Hanok experience businesses within the Bukchon Hanok-dense area.

Bukchon Hanok Village bustling with tourists. Courtesy of Jongno-gu.

The number of Hanok experience businesses in the Bukchon Hanok-dense area has grown from 47 in 2020 to 168 today. As these establishments have expanded into residential alleys, the boundaries between residential and tourist spaces have become blurred, resulting in ongoing inconveniences such as nighttime noise and invasions of privacy.

Jongno-gu is currently reviewing management measures for Hanok experience businesses within Bukchon District 1, focusing on Gaheo-dong lots 31 and 11, where Hanok houses are most densely located. The district is also considering measures to restrict new registrations by adjusting permitted uses under the district unit plan. Currently, within the Bukchon district unit plan area, Hanok experience businesses are allowed as long as the Hanok structure is preserved.

This month, the district will gather residents' opinions, consult with relevant departments, and seek expert advice to develop detailed measures. The final plan will be confirmed through deliberation and public announcement by the District Urban and Architecture Joint Committee.

This initiative is an extension of the previous designation of Bukchon as a Special Management Area. In July last year, Jongno-gu designated Bukchon as a Special Management Area and divided it into Red Zone, Yellow Zone, and Orange Zone according to the level of resident inconvenience. In the Red Zone, tourist visit hours are limited from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and measures such as restricting chartered bus traffic around Bukchon-ro are being implemented in stages.

A Jongno-gu official stated, "We will fully collect residents' opinions to ensure that the historical and cultural value of Bukchon harmonizes with the residential environment," adding, "We will establish a management system that allows tourism and residents' lives to coexist."

Bukchon Special Management Area Guide Map. Provided by Jongno District Office.

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