Urban improvement for the Jamsil area
Changes to the urban context of the Jamsil area, where most of the Olympic facilities were built, including the Olympic Village, the Olympic Park and the International Press Centre, had a huge impact on the development of the area.
Improvements to the transport system of this area were an essential part of this development. Their benefits are present to this day, including the Olympic Expressway, which connects the west of the Seoul metropolitan area to the east, and the Jamsil area to Kimpo International Airport, the city centre and the 1988 competition sites.
The Seoul subway was also expanded to resolve traffic congestion. In 1984, subway line 2 was opened, followed by Lines 3 and 4 in 1985. The Jamsil urban planning project also created new, public green areas where residents could enjoy open air activities. This was the first large-scale urban planning project in the country, which transformed Jamsil into one of the best places to live in the city. It became a role model for future urban planning in Korea.
After the Olympic Games Seoul 1988, over 5,500 apartments from the Olympic Village were sold to local citizens. Controversies over evictions of poor neighbourhoods during the 1980’s were raised by human rights monitors who associated the hosting of the Seoul Olympic Games with the actions to clean, redevelop and ‘beautify’ the city, and in particular the Jamsil area. Despite the construction of new buildings between 1983 and 1988 to house approximately 720’000 people, the housing offer was not conceived for those who had been evicted – namely low-income renters. As a result, scholars, policy-makers, and lawyers advocated for a social housing policy, including minimum housing standards and a higher degree of transparency from the city government.