[Field Report] "Just One Access Road"... A Visit to Hanam's Misa-seom, Set for 12,000 Homes

Candidate sites for 18,500 homes, including Gamil
Nearby real estate agents express optimism
"Location is just as good as central Misa"
"Road network must also be expanded"

"Everyone thought apartments could not be built here because this is a greenbelt area. I was surprised by the government's announcement on Oct. 29. If apartments are built as planned, the area will be better located than the existing Misa Riverside New Town, with convenient access to Jamsil and Gangnam."

From Misa Station in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, which borders Seoul's Gangdong District, a village bus takes about five minutes to reach "Misa-seom (Hanam Misa K-Culture)" along the Han River. The area was once separated by waterways before the rowing and canoeing venue at Misa Regatta Park was developed, but roads have gradually erased its island-like appearance.

On the afternoon of the 29th, when the government announced candidate sites for new housing developments in the Seoul metropolitan area, “Misa-seom (Hanam Misa K-Culture)” near Misa Station in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, was a flat expanse of land with not even a gentle slope. Photo by Sim Seonga

However, there is still only one road for vehicles to enter and exit the area between downtown Mangwol-dong and the interior of Misa-seom. If it is designated as a public housing district and a large apartment complex is built, connecting transit links to nearby downtown Misa and nearby subway stations will likely need to be expanded. Many local real estate agents familiar with conditions in the area also raised concerns about public transit access. Both Misa-seom and Gamil-dong still rely on village buses to reach subway stations. The owner of a nearby real estate agency, identified only as Mr. A, said, "The location is just as good as the center of Misa District, considering how convenient the commute to Jamsil and Songpa is." He added, "Right now, there is only one road into the island, so the road network also needs to be expanded."

The interior of Misa-seom has a very different feel from downtown areas filled with high-rise buildings. Restaurants and cafes are scattered around, and most of the buildings are low-rise structures that appear to be used as warehouses or for commercial purposes. Farther in, greenhouses and old houses appear here and there. The road running along the island toward the Han River passes over flat land with not even a gentle slope. The terrain is ideally suited for residential development.

On Oct. 29, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced plans to designate the area as a public housing district capable of accommodating a total of 18,500 homes, including 12,000 homes (1.31 million square meters) in the K-Culture complex and 6,500 homes (710,000 square meters) in Hanam Gamil 2 District. A project to extend Lines 3 and 9 to Misa-seom from nearby Line 5 is underway, and the extensions are expected to improve access to key areas of Seoul, including Gangnam and Yeouido, once they open.

Since the announcement was made only recently, there is not yet much excitement. However, some expect property values to rise over the long term. A real estate agent identified only as Mr. B said, "This is not a project that will be developed overnight, so it is hard to get our hopes up too soon." He added, "Still, development would obviously be a major boost for the area."

On the afternoon of the 29th, Misa-seom in Hanam, Gyeonggi-do, had large one- to two-story restaurants and bakery cafes scattered across the area, alongside mostly low-rise buildings used as warehouses or for commercial purposes. Farther in, greenhouses used for farming and old houses appeared here and there. Reporter Shim Seonga.

Real estate agencies in Gamil-dong, where the decision was made to build 6,500 homes in an area that includes part of a site in Seoul's Songpa District, were also taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach. A real estate agent near Gamil-dong, identified only as Mr. C, said, "This is a long-term project that will take more than 10 years from compensation negotiations to construction and move-in, so inquiries are not pouring in right away. But being next to Songpa's living area will be an advantage in the long run."

Gamil 2 District is close to Olympic Park and the Han River via the Gami Stream. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it would develop a public transit system connected to the planned extension of Line 3 through the existing Gamil District. It also plans to address traffic congestion across Hanam, including improvements to the West Hanam Interchange, in coordination with the metropolitan transport improvement measures for the adjacent third-generation new town of Hanam Gyosan. Because the development of the metropolitan transport network has not kept pace with the rate of population growth, existing residents often complain of chronic rush-hour traffic and congestion on major arterial roads. Their doubts about whether infrastructure can be completed in time are also why many oppose the various development plans being pursued to supply housing.

Another real estate agent said, "Given the nature of public housing sites, we expect a high proportion of rental apartments. Many areas that were once public rental housing have been converted to for-sale housing, so there are quite a few lower-income residents, and many people commute to southeastern Seoul." The agent added, "Since construction is not expected to begin until after 2030, residents have not yet felt much impact."

Local government officials are also concerned that the area could become a bedroom community. Shortly after the announcement, Hanam Mayor Lee Hyunjae said, "Hanam has too few jobs because of overlapping regulations, and its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita is only one-sixth that of Seoul's Gangnam District." He urged the city to develop not just as a place to live, but around a work-residence-leisure model.

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