South Korea is one of the world's most urbanised countries. while the country is well known for the rapid economic growth and massive urbanisation in the past, it is overlooked that approaches to urban development in South Korea are beginning to change. the paper addresses this by considering different urban design projects in the Seoul metropolitan region in terms of how they address the local history and culture, the quality of everyday life, economic competitiveness, diverse uses of public space and civic participation in decision-making. the Kkummaru visitors Centre, Dongdaemun Design plaza and park, Bupyeong Culture Street and gwanghwamun plaza are discussed as case studies of recent urban design projects. while all cases show that novel approaches to urban development are taking place in South Korea, the paper argues that the urban design, which fails to sustain the existing social and cultural structures, to create inclusive places of social interaction or to involve citizens in the decision-making does not significantly differ from the past. Keywords: public space, social sustainability, Seoul, sustainable urban development, urban design, urban policy Seoul, a clean and attractive global city. -Seoul Metropolitan Government (2006) Hopeful Seoul, a village community where citizens live well! -Seoul Metropolitan Government (2012) 1 Harvey (1989, 5) described the historical conditions that resulted in what he calls the 'rise of urban entrepreneurialism', which not only leads towards the corporatisation of urban policy but also to the domination of corporate interests in urban planning and political decision-making. In his view, the 'mechanisms of intraurban competition' became the driving force of urban entrepreneurialism, hence the term competitive urban policy.Competitive urban policy, based on neoliberal ideology, prioritises economic profits and efficiency, market-driven urban development, uneven taxes and welfare cuts and individual responsibility over common benefits, balanced urban development and an even distribution of resources and shared responsibility (Mayer, 2007).