|
08-17-2007 17:51 150-Story Building to Be Built in Seoul By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Seoul skyline will undergo a facelift once a 620-meter building in Yongsan, central Seoul, is completed. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea Railroad (Korail) announced the development plan of an international business zone near Yongsan Station on Friday, which includes the 620-meter building. The planned zone is 442,000 square meters of land in Yongsan, where railroads, train depots, a train maintenance center, logistics centers and a postal office are currently located, and 124,000 square meters of land in Seobuichon-dong, near Yongsan. The project was on hold for a while when the city government permitted development of only part of the land in Yongsan, saying the other should be developed later, after rearranging the region's traffic system and road facilities. However, both sides have reached an agreement this time, a Korail official said. According to the city government, international passenger and cargo terminals will be built in Seobuichon-dong as will a green pedestrian's path linking the Han River bank, Yongsan Station, the skyscraper, and Yongsan park. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said the project will make the area from a habilitation-focused place to an international trade and complex one. ``The new international business zone will make Yongsan a landmark of the city, bringing a more vibrant and international atmosphere to the northern side of Seoul,'' he said. The city government and Korail will establish a special purpose company to carry out the construction plan. They are planning to hold a contest to select the best designs. The company will be chosen by the end of the month to select the specific development zone and other fundamental plans by June 2009, and start construction from 2011. The 150-story skyscraper, to be completed around 2013, will be the second highest building in the world, followed by Burj Dubai now under construction in United Arab Emirates. The 160-story Burj Dubai, scheduled for completion next year, will be more than 800 meters high. Currently, the world's highest skyscraper is the 508-meter-tall Taipei Financial Center in Taiwan with 101 stories. In Korea, the 261-meter-tall Tower Palace apartment in Dogok-dong of southern Seoul is the highest. bjs@koreatimes.co.kr |
