Seoul city presented “Northeast Renaissance Project,” the first combined city remaking plan to convert Northeastern region to be reborn as the ‘main city of new economy and culture’ and to lead Seoul’s economy, culture, and industrial competitiveness. 

This project, which 18 trillion won will be invested until 2020, plans to concentrate development of economy and culture around Jungrang riverside, which runs through the Northeastern region. Along with balancing development of each region of the city, this project aims at expanding vitality of the waterside development to the entire Northeastern region.

Northeastern region has the biggest number of population among the four divided regions of Seoul as it includes 3.5 million people in the following 8 regions: Sungdong, Gwangjin, Dongdaemoon, Jungrang, Sungbuk, Gangbuk, Dobong, Nowon, and 1.5 million people from Guri, Namyangju, and Pochun. This project is expected to benefit 5 million people residing the Northeastern region of the capital.

While the demands for developing a new city in the Northeastern region, which is mostly consisted of the residential infrastructure, has always existed, its foundation of business capacity and culture is quite weak that it is desperate for a steady supply of development. Moreover, expectation for this project is higher as the transportation infrastructure hasn’t been elaborate enough that traffic jam has happened regularly in this area. According to the recent announcement made by the government, it plans to support boosting the Northeastern region such as Namyangju and Wuijungbu as well.