US Embassy in South Korea to move to Yongsan

U.S. Embassy in South Korea will move to Yongsan after spending 50 years near Gwanghwamun since 1968.

“The 11th joint committee of architecture & urban planning passed a plan to relocate the U.S. Embassy to 1-5, Yongsan-dong 1-ga, Yongsan-gu,” the Seoul metropolitan government announced on Thursday. The necessary legal procedures have been completed, following the announcement of the decision to move the U.S. Embassy to the site in March last year.

The relocation project began when the South Korean and U.S. governments signed the memorandum of understanding for the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in 2005. In 2011, the Seoul metropolitan government and the U.S. government signed the memorandum of understanding for the construction of the U.S. Embassy and began district unit planning.

The new U.S. Embassy will be in the old site of the United States Forces Korea near Sookmyung Women's University Station. With the plan passed on Thursday, the U.S. Embassy can build a maximum 12-story building under 55 meters.


Seng-Hyun Kang byhuman@donga.com