New KTX vertical to Gangnam by 2015

Suseo Station has been confirmed as the terminus of the Suseo High Speed Railway (Suseo HSR), a KTX vertical line connecting Southwest Seoul with the main axis Seoul-Busan (Gyeongbu HSR) at Pyeongtaek.

Looking at this old map, covering the Northeastern quarter of the country seemed a priority, but Korail has recently improved the Gyeongchun Line (ITX connecting Chuncheon with Cheongnyangni, Seoul Station), and the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics will KTXize and extend this horizontal axis ("KTX coast to coast Incheon-Gangneung"), even if it may not reach the East Sea for budgetary reasons. Furthermore, 40% of South Koreans live in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do.

So. Again. Ultraprivileged Gangnam-Bundang areas are blessed with major transport infrastructures: Suseo Station, which already connects Line 3 with Bundang Line, will become one of the Capital's biggest hubs.

Express Bus Terminal (Lines 3, 7, 9) may have to balance between the KTX stations of Yeongdeungpo (Line 9) and Suseo, whereas north of the Han river, the Seoul Station - Cheongnyangni horizontal axis looks much more simple, with both centers directly connected via Line 1.

Suseo HSR will connect with Gyeongbu HSR at a future Pyeongtaek Junction, north of Cheonan-Asan Station, with two stations in between:
- Jije Station in Jije-dong, Pyeongtaek (Line 1)
- Dongtan Station (New Dongtan City in Hwaseong)

Let's focus more on the other two winners of the deal:

• Dongtan new town is to cover about 24,000 square meters, and to propose 40,000 dwellings to an expected population of 120,000. But today, it is not directly on the subway map: Seodongtan Station is the sole station on a branchlet of Line 1.
• Among South Korea's biggest harbors and industrial complexes Pyeongtaek will soon add the US troops leaving Yongsan, Uijeongbu, and Dongducheon to an already impressive military hub comprising two USFK facilities.

The 61 km stretch will be inaugurated in 2015. 

Seoul Village 2012
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Res2go (Seoul)

Hungry for tasty meat, tired of high end restaurants and ready for good junk, but not in your usual fast food joint? (hang on a sec, I'm drooling right now, just thinking about Burger King's garlic burger - there) How about fusion Japan-Korean-Californian at Res2go?

As the name hints, you can pick up your dose at Res2go, but the place is also very comfortable, particularly at their Itaewon branch, a perfect spot for a power brunch, with its large windows facing West (Noksapyeongdae-ro and Yongsan Army Base). The decor? Hypey / happy design, just retro enough: half sixties for the colors, half nineties for the typo (you know, the cute web sites which made you feel like clicking on every icon?). Pure marketing, of course, but much more comfortable and less aggressive than - say - Golden Arches & Co.

Teriyaki, yakisoba, great LA Galbi, all kinds of meats (beef, pork, chicken, combos, salads), in Californian portions. Taste-and-price-wise, a smarter choice than your usual chain of family restaurant.

Res2go Itaewon / 레스투고 (fusion Japan-Korean-Californian)
Itaewon branch: 559 Itaewon-2-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.749.9297
Apgujeong branch: 636-9 Shinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.6080.7543

Seoul Village 2012 - more tables here
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Photo: Res2go

Yongsan park - fake forests and real estates

Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs unveiled yesterday* its master plan for the future Yongsan Park (to replace Yongsan US Army Base).

Base case scenario used to be 2017 but now, the first temporary parks are announced for as early as 2015... and completion for as late as 2025.


The shape didn't change : as scheduled, the park is connected to Namsan at the Northeastern end, the National Museum of Korea cuts a big rectangle at the Southern end, and the Western side is bitten by existing para-military infrastructures (the War Memorial of Korea and the Korean army's buddhist temple near Sinyongsan). The park is split into 6 thematic areas using the usual catch phrases : "U-Eco", "International Culture"...

Obviously, a quick and dirty draft to be updated later. Because the park itself is only a detail, an environmental joke, a mere alibi for what basically represent one of the biggest real estate operations of this young millenium : clearly, what all homeowners around and all developpers nationwide were waiting for were construction guidelines around Seoul's next Central Park.

And the answer came quite clearly : more than 40 stories on average, with up to 50-storey buildings in the Western enclave. The poorly designed Park Towers already overlooking the National Museum will not feel alone anymore... Definitely good news for Yongsan promoters after series of unfortunate events : Yongsan IBD was delayed by stops and go's, one person died resisting to a nearby redevelopment, and further afield costs exploded after the discovery of pollutants in the soil. Note that a similar gift was recently awarded to Apgujeong tenants : whatever the real estate macro-scenario, 50 storey giants will ensure fat profits in that very expensive area - nevermind touching environmental speeches about the Hangang Renaissance...

Frankly, I didn't expect less from a buldozer-friendly government that already authorized universities to build higher on Seoul's last protected mountains, and agressively sacrificed big chunks of the capital's last greenbelt areas.

At least, let's hope the park itself will be an environmental success.

Seoul Village 2011

* see for instance "남산과 한강 사이… 여의도 크기 서울 용산공원 청사진" (Chosun Ilbo 20110211)

Korean Air Grounded : Seoul 7 Star Hotel Delayed

Yesterday, education authorities blocked a Korean Air project to build the country's first seven-star hotel just meters away from Gyeongbokgung and Insadong.

KAL got all the agreements for a complex which would definitely have redefined hospitality in this major touristic and cultural area : a hanok-style boutique hotel with luxury shops and exhibition facilities.

It would have been erected at the intersection between Yulgokno and Gyoyuk-gil, a narrow street leading to Jeongdok Public Library, surrounded by schools which, according to the authorities, would have been disturbed. Thus this last moment interdiction.

KAL withdrew its project for the moment, but keeps pushing for it, promising a participation in intensive archeological research : the area must be worth digging... and needless to say, the project is a potential gold mine for the company.

This site belongs to the US Embassy : about twenty grey-green houses and facilities protected with stone walls and a secured black metal gate. Size ? Judging by the map, around 30,000 square meters if you add 49-1 Seonghyeon-dong (20,203.2 sqm according to Korea Land Information System), 97-2 Sagan-dong (6,165.1 sqm), and half of 34 Seonghyeon-dong (6,229.3 sqm - shared with Deokseong Women's Middle School). The first two lots were estimated around KRW 4 M / sqm last year, the latter KRW 3 M / sqm, but for a land this big in such a location the bill must be much higher than USD 100 M. Last year, land was estimated 2.5 times higher just across Yulgokno, but a chaebol paid much more to plant its new headquarters.

I won't judge a concept I haven't seen, but I'm glad this one is based on Korean traditional architecture - I guess it wouldn't have go this far otherwise. What I'm really curious to see are the next steps.

The US Embassy is supposed to move to Yongsan during this decade, Yongsan Army Base to be turned into a huge park, and speculators to make a few dimes in the process. Beyond Songhyeon-dong facilities, what will happen to the main building, in the dead middle of Sejongno ? I wouldn't bet a buck on its "hanokization".

Seoul Village 2010

Yongsan-Gangnam-Bundang subway completed in 2017

Seoul Village 2010 - Bundang, Gangnam, Yongsan... the New Bundang subway line seems to be going back in time as it links symbols of the 2000s, 1980s, and 1960s. Will it go back all the way to the 1390s and Seoul city center some day ?

In 2017, 7.5 km will be added to the "Sinbundangseon" (신분당선), connecting Gangnam Station with Yongsan Station. The inauguration of the first section (17.3 km from Jeongja Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do to Gangnam Station) was postponed from July 2010 to September 2011.

Joining Bundang business district and Pangyo New Town directly with the Northern half of the capital city is already an important step, but extensions all the way up to Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung stations were also considered at one stage (POSCO plan).

Yesterday, the government already announced a total of KRW 18.6 for railways, ports, and logistics, plus 22.9 tn for roads. The Sin Bundang extension is expected to cost W 900 bn excluding expropriations, and for the moment it is supposed to cross the Yongsan Army Base... which means delays and additional costs are more than likely.

Section to be inaugurated next year (3.2 + 8 + 2.9 + 1.7 + 1.5 = 17.3 km) :

. Jeongja station (connected with Bundang Line)
. Pangyo station (new station, future Yeoju Line, heading for Southeastern Gyeonggi-do)
. Cheonggye / Cheonggyesan station (new station)
. Yangjae Citizen's Forest / Maeheon (new station)
. Yangjae station / Seocho-gu Office (subway Line 3)
. Gangnam station (subway Line 2)

Extension decided yesterday (7.5 km) :

. SinNonhyeon (subway Line 9) - to be confirmed
. Nonhyeon (subway Line 7)
. Sinsa (subway Line 3)
. Seobinggo (station of the Yongsan-Deokso section of the old Jungang Line)
. Ichon Station / National Museum (subway Line 4, Yongsan-Deokso)
. Yongsan Station (subway Line 1, KTX bullet train, Yongsan-Deokso)