Home > National > Politics

Seoul gov't to turn Sangam-dong area into 'Fun City' in upgrade project

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 16:08 Updated: 29 Apr. 2025, 18:26

Overall rendering of the Sangam-dong Re-Creation Project [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul will revamp its northwestern neighborhood of Sangam-dong into a "Fun City" that specializes in the media and entertainment businesses, the city government said Tuesday as it revealed a master plan of the western end of the Mapo District neighborhood.

The plan covers the area spanning Digital Media City (DMC), World Cup Park and the Han River, with the city aiming to shift Sangam’s identity from a "digital media" hub to a "smart media" industrial center, introducing new facilities and land uses.

Seoul plans to nurture Sangam as a creative and cultural hub specializing in the media and entertainment industries. The project will also integrate currently disconnected urban spaces, improve links between major sites and connect abundant riverside and green spaces with new cultural content.

Given the scale and long-term nature of the project, the city said it will implement individual initiatives step-by-step under the master plan.

The first phase focuses on redevelopment around the Oil Tank Culture Park and the Mapo Agricultural and Marine Products Market.

Seoul plans to work with private developers to revitalize these areas, which are located near Peace Park. The city aims to create an initial "Fun City" corridor stretching from the Oil Tank Culture Park to Seoul World Cup Stadium and Peace Park.

Fans watch a K League 1 match between FC Seoul and Incheon United at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on March 10. [YONHAP]

Seoul has already begun refurbishing five underused tanks at the Oil Tank Culture Park and plans to reopen the site in September, transforming it into a public cultural hub centered on popular content.

The city, in collaboration with private operators, will assign each tank a unique theme under the slogan "From Industrial Heritage to Culture, from Storage to Creation, from Sangam to the World."

The surrounding "Cultural Yard" will also be developed into a citizen-friendly outdoor cultural space filled with year-round events.

Seoul said it will emphasize public engagement, foster the cultural industry and ensure the Cultural Yard operates sustainably in cooperation with the local community.

The city also plans to redevelop the Mapo Agricultural and Marine Products Market and the Peace Park parking lot into a multiuse complex.

Under a public-private partnership model, Seoul will publicly offer available land first and then invite private entities to propose creative development plans.

Overall rendering of the Sangam-dong Re-Creation Project [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

The city seeks to modernize the aging market and convert the large surface parking lot into a multilevel park with underground parking facilities through this initiative.

"We will turn the Mapo Agricultural and Marine Products Market and Peace Park parking area into a center for food culture, consumption, experiences and exchanges, transforming it into a lively anchor of the Sangam Fun City,” a city official said.

Seoul will also develop underused or stalled sites, including the DMC Landmark site, into new hubs for global content production and consumption.

The city aims to extend the DMC-centered development to the greater Sangam area and strengthen industrial networks with nearby regions such as Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul and Goyang, Gyeonggi, creating an interconnected industrial ecosystem.

“The Sangam re-creation master plan will be continuously enhanced through various short- and long-term projects, aiming for a city that is fun, creative and eco-friendly.” Lim Chang-soo, head of Seoul’s Future Space Planning Bureau, said. “We hope Sangam will be reborn as a global creative city where culture, tourism infrastructure, global business and K-culture thrive.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE SOO-KI [[email protected]]