| Title |
Characteristics of Gwacheon New Town Housing Development Led by the Korea National Housing Corporation in the 1970s and 1980s |
| Authors |
이어진(Lee, Uh-Jin) ; 성나연(Sung, Nayon) ; 이경아(Lee, Kyungah) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2026.42.3.157 |
| Keywords |
1970s-1980s Gwacheon New Town; Korea National Housing Corporation; Housing Development; Skip-Floor Row Houses; Solar Housing Experiment; Apartment Unit Expansion |
| Abstract |
During the 1960s, Korea’s First Five-Year Economic Development Plan accelerated industrialization, which in turn intensified urbanization and
increased population concentration in Seoul. To manage future growth, the Seoul Metropolitan Government incorporated Gwacheon-myeon into
its urban planning district in 1963. After the 1977 Seoul Grand Park plan and the 1978 decision to build the Second Government Complex,
Gwacheon was designated in 1979 as a new town intended for the relocation of government officials. The Korea National Housing Corporation
(KNHC), appointed as the sole developer, gained its first opportunity to design an entire city rather than individual housing complexes. This
study examines KNHC’s housing development in Gwacheon New Town during the 1970s and 1980s and compares it with housing trends in
Seoul at the time. The findings highlight three main characteristics: diversified housing types and scales that reflected varied lifestyles and
income levels; experimentation with spatial layouts and facilities to meet changing residential needs; and large-scale housing designed for
middle-class government officials. As Seoul’s available land decreased, KNHC’s work in Gwacheon helped establish the foundation for Korea’s
first-generation new towns, serving as a national experiment in urban housing composition and future-oriented residential design. |