Number Of Apartments to Be Built in Pankyo Larger than 40 Pyeong Doubled

More than twice as many large and medium sized apartments as originally planed will be built in the new town Pankyo. The town will also include a miniature lake-park, one-sixth the size of the one in Ilsan.

As a countermeasure against increased traffic, an exclusive two-lane bus lane running 17.8km from the Poongdukchun intersection to Segok will be constructed.

In addition, a scheme to use a part of the Gyeongbu expressway (Seoul-Busan), from the Goongnae tolls to the Seocho interchange as an exclusive bus lane will also be advocated.

According to development plans presented by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, real construction will commence in the latter half of next year, with the parceling out of apartments and moving in to begin in the first half of 2005 and in the latter half of 2007, respectively.

The Minister of Construction and Transportation plans to construct 29,700 households consisting of 26,974 apartments and 2,726 freestanding houses in Pankyo. The number of individual apartments and apartment houses 25.7 to 40 pyeong will be decreased and the number of apartment houses larger than 40 pyeong will be increased from 1,000 to 2,274 reflecting the high demand for larger apartments

Additionally, the town will include superior educational institutions such as an independent private high school and a zone, extending over 15,000 pyeong, for educational institutions called Education Park that will be the greatest educational environment next to Gangnam, Seoul. A plan to create a private academy complex that provoked severe criticism was abandoned.

At the point where Gumtochun and Wunjungchun, which flow over Pankyo, join, a small lake-park covering 50,000 pyeong will be created.

Six lanes of wide road, including a high speed road extending from Yeongdeok to Yangjae, will be built or extended and public transportation in the area will also be reinforced.

Jae-Seong Hwang jsonhng@donga.com