Seoul’s vehicles aged three years or older maintain a striking 70% usage rate within any three-day period, even as fuel prices climb sharply. City officials attribute this trend to heightened travel anxiety and have ramped up parking infrastructure through vertical towers and smart systems to ease congestion.
Persistent High Usage Across Major Districts
Recent data as of February 18 reveals that over the past six months, the three-day usage rate for these cars across Seoul stands at 70%. Key districts report similar figures: Gangseo at 63.1%, Nowon at 67.1%, with most major areas exceeding 60%.
This metric measures the proportion of vehicles driven at least once within a three-day window during their overall usage cycle post-three years. Surveys confirm the pattern holds even under precise parking availability assessments.
Response to Post-Pandemic Shifts
During the COVID-19 era, parking demand forecasts missed by millions of spaces due to shifting patterns. Now, amid elevated fuel costs and public concerns, Seoul prioritizes expansions tailored to real needs.
In September 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Government Corporation launched four vertical parking towers, achieving full operation by August. Officials credit these with sustaining the 70% usage level while optimizing space.
Vertical Parking Expansion Boosts Capacity
Vertical towers at the corporation increased daily underground parking capacity from 59 to 85 spaces across 18 projects. Despite investing 200 billion won overall, including 18 billion for non-parking features, the city maintains that total supply meets demand when accounting for household parking standards.
Originally transformed during the 2008 Beijing Olympics amid high oil prices, the site shifted from high-rise plans to a parking hub, securing land for tower installations. After a decade of underuse, revitalization resumed in 2021 under Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s directive.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, “Building new facilities only when essential is preferable to expanding existing ones first—this approach aligns with common sense and cost efficiency.”
Smart Parking Conversion Accelerates
Seoul advances smart parking conversions at its 23 RIP Songhwa centers, with 16 now operational and the remaining seven slated for completion soon, enabling full rollout. These systems extend usage by about 20 minutes per session, effectively adding 3.5 equivalent spaces and preserving land.
Smart upgrades last year lifted underground capacity at RIP Songhwa from 127 to 131 spaces. Currently, 38 lines serve an average of 212 spaces daily, with potential to reach 220 during peak hours by extending operations.
Strategic Public Corporation Role
To manage large-scale parking for public benefit, the city restructured the corporation as a public entity. This supports downtown revitalization, functional upgrades, and housing for young residents facing instability.
A city official noted, “Parking facilities supply matches needs sufficiently, though recent vertical towers and smart conversions are not yet fully captured in national data.” The official added, “Infrastructure builds matching influx and demand serve as momentum for citizen satisfaction. Even if shallow, prioritizing central supply ensures three-year capacity utilization, justifying the system.”
