**The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Relaxes Construction Area Limits**
– Construction standards for buildings over 5 stories: exclusive 60→85㎡
– Mandate of one parking space per household
**[Seoul Economic Daily]**
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced on the 20th that amendments to the ‘Housing Act Enforcement Decree,’ ‘Housing Construction Standards Regulations,’ and ‘Housing Act Enforcement Rules’ will come into effect starting from the 21st. These amendments are aimed at easing the construction area limits for urban residential housing.
These changes are follow-up measures to the supply plan announced on August 8 last year, designed to expand the supply of small to medium-sized housing. They will apply to applications for project plan approval or building permits (including changes to approval or permits) submitted after January 21.
Previously, urban residential housing was allowed to be constructed over five stories only if the units were 60㎡ or smaller. However, under the new amendments, buildings can be constructed in an apartment style with units up to 85㎡ being allowed to exceed five stories.
However, since these are to be apartment-style housing units, those exceeding 60㎡ and up to 85㎡ must have at least one parking space per household, similar to standard multi-family housing. If there are more than 150 units larger than 60㎡ among these, communal facilities such as community centers for the elderly and children’s playgrounds are also required.
Additionally, the ministry has decided to reclassify the existing term ‘small housing’ as ‘apartment-style housing’ to better reflect the characteristics of urban residential housing types.
Kim Gyu-cheol, head of the Housing and Land Office at the ministry, stated, “With this amendment, it is now possible to build wider urban residential housing, creating conditions to activate the supply of small to medium-sized housing for families of 3 to 4 members.”