From an empty land to the symbol of wealth: the history of the ‘Gangnam-style’ development in Seoul, South Korea

The population of Seoul had exploded from 1 million to 2.45 million in 7 years right after the end of the Korean War (from 1953 to 1960). Many parts of Seoul were converted into slum areas and aimless urbanisation lowered the quality of life in the Seoul metropolitan area. Pupils were excluded from education due to the lack of school infrastructure while citizens were exposed to crime and unemployment. In the middle of the population crisis, the metropolitan government of Seoul and the central government of South Korea paid attention to the potential of Gangnam as one of the candidate regions for the expansion of the Seoul metropolitan area. This review presents how Gangnam has transformed from an “empty land” to the “symbol of wealth” in the history of the Gangnam development and the expansion of the Seoul metropolitan area. The initial development plan tried to solve immediate housing problems derived from the lack of urban space and facility. After 20 years of the intensive development, Gangnam has transformed from a poor countryside region into the new economic centre and financial hub. Gangnam has become a symbol of wealth in South Korea where citizens and private companies would like to reside. On the other hand, many evictees lost their home and disappeared as nameless citizens behind the scenes of the development. The Gangnam-style development, the expertise of urban development acquired in Gangnam, can be thoroughly studied and transferred to other regions in South Korea and developing countries in the world, thus establishing Gangnam as a model case of metropolitan area expansion. Key words: construction, eviction, Gangnam, housing crisis, metropolitan area, Seoul, shantytowns, urban development