In South Korea, for example, if a person(not a certified developer) has a valuable raw land and desires to build apartments without enough money for from building to maintenance, he or she has to meet with designer and architect.

Such as engineer, architect, permits etc. 

It must be done by qualified engineers or architects, CPAs are not qualified as they generally do not have knowledge of construction, construction techniques, design and estimation procedures.

Also, it has proven hard to extract information from local professionals like architects, that is not vague or conflicting. 

I assume I need to find an architect to make sure I can actually move the wall I need to and to have a plan for contractors to follow.

Who is your architect?

I have an offer on a lot that was accepted and have an architect assessing the feasibility.

I am looking to go through the city and get a permit for it, but I have no prior experience in this area.Does anyone have a recommendation for a good architect/contractor who can help me with the process and get the permit?

Use me for example example: I'm an architect and didnt get serious about REI until recently.

3.Plan every detail in advance (as much as possible)Even if you have a very competent contractor and architect, unless you have a dedicated project manager (we did not), it’s critical to know and plan every detail in advance—or be prepared for unexpected delays.