The huge artificial islands in the middle of the Hangang(River) will be opened to the public in September, 2011. They consist of three different islands near the southern end of the Banpo Bridge. Being a cornerstone in Seoul’s Hangang Renaissance Project aiming to enhance riverside recreation areas and natural ecology, the floating island will be the representative landmark in the city.
Three separate islands that feature a convention hall, an entertainment hall, a marina, restaurants, shops and a floating stage called Media Art Gallery designed with a massive LED screen against beautiful Hangang backdrop for multimedia show and many other events.
(Unit : ㎡)
 |  |  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | ||
| Plottage | 9,629 | 4,881 | 3,477 | 1,271 | 792 |
| Building Area | 9,995 | 5,490 | 3,427 | 1,078 | - |
| Height | - | 3 Story (27ｍ) | 3 Story (21ｍ) | 3 Story (13ｍ) | - |
Island 1 features a convention hall, restaurants and shops. Equipped with state of the art technology, the convention hall is host to significant events such as international symposium, reception, conference, seminar and marketing event.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| ∙ Convention Hall ∙ Restaurants and Cafés ∙ Retail Shops | ∙ Banquets ∙ Conventions ∙ International Symposium | ∙ Performance ∙ Premier Events ∙ Marketing Events (Product Launching) |
Island 2 is a cultural complex appealing to everyone throughout the day and night with a stunning view of the river. This 3 story building features an entertainment hall that is perfect to take cultural and social events right onto the water.
| | |
|---|---|---|
| ∙ Multi-Purpose Hall ∙ Restaurants ∙ Cafés | ∙ Exhibitions ∙ Performance ∙ Banquets | ∙ Retail Shops ∙ Wine & Dine |
Island 3 is a recreational complex that provides water sports facilities for everyone in the heart of Seoul.
| | |
|---|---|---|
| ∙ Water Sports Facilities | ∙ Yacht Club ∙ Yacht Marina ∙ Lounge | ∙ Shower Facility ∙ Banquets |
The Media Art Gallery is also a floating structure along with the three floating islands on the Han Gang (River), and is well known as the Mecca of street cheering in Seoul during the FIFA World Cup games.
The 1,000-inch LED screen and high-tech stage effects such as lighting, sound system, water fountain, laser, and special effects makes the Media Art Gallery the perfect place to stage for multimedia shows and a variety of exclusive events.
Pass Namtaeryeong, the first gateway to Seoul from the south, and you will be greeted by Seoul Grand Park, a landmark recreational site with people and nature in perfect harmony. Seoul Grand Park is internationally renowned for its scenic beauty and natural environment consisting of the Education, Natural Culture, and Amusement areas.
During the period of the Great Han Empire, Japan turned time-honored Changgyeonggung, one of the royal palaces in Seoul, into a zoo, in 1909, in an attempt to undermine Korea’s national sovereignty. As part of its effort to restore national pride and preserve its cultural assets, the Korean government created Seoul Grand Park, which opened on May 1, 1984, and transferred the animals in Changgyeonggung to the park for the restoration of the palace. Today, Seoul Grand Park is one of the world’s top 10 zoos in size and scale.
The zoo in Seoul Grand Park was renamed Seoul Zoo in 2009 to mark its 100th anniversary. It is home to over 3,200 animals of 340 species from all over the world, including the endangered lowland gorilla. The animals are categorized by their origin and genealogy and reside in an environment close to that in which they would inhabit in the wild.
The 2,975 ㎡ garden displays some 1,300 types of plants, which gives visitors an impression that they are strolling through a beautiful forest. In addition, the garden features various special exhibitions of a variety of stunning flowers, including Korean native orchids, all year round.
A leisurely walk along the 7.4 km-long path in Cheonggyesan (Mountain) that surrounds the roughly 2,876,033 ㎡ zoo, in casual outfit, will bring out the lyrical poet in you. Also, the natural camp site at the foot of Cheonggyesan will be a great place to spend a night with your family
A raft of countless ducks by the Seoul Grand Park Lake, in front of the main gate of the Seoul Zoo, and hundreds of thousands of roses of some 300 species, in Korea’s largest Rose Garden, across from the zoo, take your breath away.
Children can play with over 100 cute animals including goats, lamas, and squirrel monkeys at the nature-friendly petting zoo.
The Elephant Train and the Sky Lift are the popular transportation means in the park. The Elephant Train allows you to access the Seoul Zoo from Seoul Grand Park Station, on Subway Line 2, and the 1.7 km-long Sky Lift offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the park. The walking trail surrounding the reservoir is a wonderful way of enjoying a leisurely stroll with lovers or friends.
Having declared 2009 as the Year of Visiting the Seoul Zoo, Seoul Grand Park is geared up for its ambitious project of featuring a variety of festivals to showcase the year round mysterious beauty of nature in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Changgyeongwon Zoo, the forerunner of Seoul Grand Park.
The Spring Breeze Festival celebrates spring with dazzling silver-white Yoshino Cherry blossoms contrasted with splendid yellow forsythia flowers and azaleas, along the 7 km-long circuit road.
The Rose Garden Festival features hundreds of thousands of roses deep set in dark green thick foliage right next to Seoul Zoo.
Seoul Zoo is full of color in autumn and chrysanthemums feature as the messengers of fall.
The Winter Tour Festival leads you to a fantastic world of animals in the warm zoo covered with white snow.
The animal shows are perhaps the most popular and must-see feature in the park. The dolphin and sea lion show, which is held four times a day, presents cute and playful sea lions and the dynamic dolphins together with their trainers in the water. They are the most popular animal stars in the zoo.
Also featured are the flamingo show, in which some 80 flamingos boasts their beauty and grace, and the animal feeding and petting programs that allow visitors to feed various wild animals, such as monkeys (Ape Hall) and tigers and pet beautiful Formosan sika deer, rabbits, and lamas. The Seoul Zoo is unique in that it is Korea’s only zoo with animal feeding and petting programs in which animal trainers provide valuable information on the animals, including their habits and behaviors, while allowing visitors to interact with them.
Seoul Zoo operates the Nature Learning Center that offers elementary school children, as well as other visitors, the opportunity to learn more about nature. It consists of the animal learning center, which allows children and visitors to realize the importance of nature and develop a love for animals by feeding and petting them, while learning more about them; the plant learning center, which gives visitors the opportunity to observe rare plants and the plant ecosystem; and the insect learning center, which teaches the importance of ponds and wetlands to insects by observing and entomologizing various insects, such as dragon flies and cicadas. The nature learning center is popular among children, in particular, and may be responsible for inspiring not a few future zoologists.
Since its opening, Seoul Zoo has taken responsibility for managing and providing education for the public about rare wild animals and served as a site for recreation and relaxation. Also, it has made consistent efforts to develop into a world-class eco-friendly zoo by teaming up with the world’s leading ecological zoo designers and local ecological experts over the last few years.
It is now undertaking its long-term plan of building the Seoul Ecological Zoo, which is designed to create an environment similar to the natural habitats of its residents so that nature, animals, and humans can coexist.
An ecological zoo refers to a zoo designed to provide animals with an environment similar to their natural habitats whilst also raising public awareness of the importance of protecting animals in their natural state by communicating with major countries with wild animal habitats. It also refers to a zoo with various facilities for breeding and conserving endangered species in their natural state, as well as for research and education, rather than simply keeping animals and exhibiting them. The initial phase of the Seoul Zoo Ecological Park Construction Project aims to remove the artificial facilities typically found in most zoos, such as fences and cages, to create an environment as close to the natural animal habitats as possible.
The Ape Hall, which opened on November 11, 2009, is the outcome of the Seoul Zoo’s efforts to create a new-concept ecological zoo to enable the animals and their human companions to come to better understanding of one another.
The Seoul Zoo pursues globalization in zoo operations and management through exchange and cooperation with zoos in other countries so as to advance the scientific technology for the protection of wild animals. In addition, it will play a key role in conserving Korea’s native endangered species as a wild life conservation and protection center.
Dream Forest, a massive green park located in northern Seoul, is the 4th largest park in the city after Seoul Forest, Olympic Park, and World Cup Park. Neighboring 6 surrounding districts including Gangbuk-gu, Seongbuk-gu, and Dobong-gu, the park was built on the land, 660,000m2 in size, where Dreamland formerly existed. Surrounded by densely forested mountains of Byeogosan (Mt.) and Opaesan (Mt.), Dream Forest provides diverse attractions to visitors, together with an abundant amount of natural vegetation. The Cherry Blossom Path in spring or the Maple Tree Forest in fall is merely a glimpse of the amazing beauty the park offers. Visitors will find that the landscaping works, such as Wolyeongji (Moon Reflecting Pond) and the Wolgwang Falls (Moonlight Falls), were designed after traditional architecture of Korea. At the top of the 49.7m tall observatory, visitors are treated to a panoramic view of the whole park and the view of mountains including Bukhansan (Mt.), Dobongsan (Mt.) and Suraksan (Mt.). Dream Forest was also built to accommodate various cultural venues. Dream Forest Arts Center, Concert Hall, Dream Forest Museum of Art and restaurants are all conveniently located within the park, making Dream Forest one of the most accessible cultural venues in Seoul. The city of Seoul invites you to the Dream Forest, the park made of dreams!
- Park Entrance Fee: Free Fees may be required for Dream Forest Art Center, Observatory and other facilities.
- 02-2289-4001~5 (Dream Forest Administrating Office) 02-2289-5401 (Dream Forest Art Center)
- http://dreamforest.seoul.go.kr (Dream Forest Administrating Office) http://www.dfac.or.kr (Dream Forest Art Center)
Located near the eastern entrance, the visitors center is equipped with nursery room, wheelchair rental kiosk, and souvenir shop for visitor’s convenience. Visitors can also take a look at what the city of Seoul has in store for its future projects in Design Seoul Gallery. In addition, the visitors center also functions as an administration office for the entire park.
Design Seoul Gallery, located on the 1st floor at the visitor’s center, is comprised of three components: Seoul’s Vision, where viewers can take a look at the future plans of the Seoul city government, Making Seoul Green, a comprehensive gallery of future environmental development plans, and Dream Forest Story, a video montage of the history and culture of Dream Forest played on a 3D panel displays.
- Open hours: 09:00 ~ 18:00 (Closed on Monday)
Utilizing the park’s high and low land altitudes, 7 small and large waterfalls are built along the stream that flows into the large pond near the visitor’s center. Having a rich ecosystem of its own composed of various water plants and animals, the Chilpokji (Seven Waterfall Pond) provides unique scenery for each season. There are 9 bridges built on the stream. The bridges are connected with the birch tree promenade and lawn field that stretch alongside the stream.
Recreating tradition and spirit of our ancestors, the History Garden houses several traditional structures such as Changnyeongwigung Ancestral Shrine (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 40), Wolgwangdae (Moonlight Podium), Seokgyo (Stone Bridge), and Aewoljeong (Moon Enchanted Pavilion).
At the center of the park lies a large pond that contains both the Aewoljeong (Moon Enchanted Pavilion) and the Wolgwang Falls (Moonlight Falls). Wolyeongji (Moon Reflecting Pond), as described in its name, is especially beautiful at night, reflecting moonlight from its bright shining surface. The Wolgwang Falls (Moonlight Falls), built within the pond, is another great landmark also providing a spectacular view at night.
Located north from the Wolyeongji (Moon Reflecting Pond), Cheongundapwon (Lawn Plaza) is a massive lawn plaza, with its size twice as big as Seoul Plaza, built to be used for just about any cultural activities and events. To the east, a water playground for children is installed in front of the Dream Forest Museum of Art.
Adorned with beautiful iris flowers and a series of small fountains, the Iris Garden located in front of La Foresta Italian Restaurant provides a great view for both the diners inside the restaurant and those who take rests or watch a live performance on the nearby lawn plaza. The water for the garden is supplied by the stream which is derived from Wolyeongji (Moon Reflecting Pond).
A space in front of Dream Forest Art Center, many events and concerts are held in Cultural Plaza. The plaza is comprised of Mirror Pond, Jumping Fountain, Imaginable Children’s Playground, Hope Forest (Installation Art), and Bowl Plaza. For each season, different type of events will be held to suit the weather.
Comprised of a large underground parking lot and solar panels installed above its roof, with wildflowers planted on the rest of the land, the Botanic Garden was built with great efficiency. The wildflowers and trees also provide unique sceneries for each season the connecting deck at the top provides great view of the entire park.
Located within the botanic garden, the deer garden is currently made home by 2 male and 8 female deer. The deer were brought from the Seoul Forest.
Dream Forest Arts Center, surrounded by 660,000m2 of green forest, is where visitors can enjoy quality performing arts as well as indulging in other cultural events that take place inside it. The arts center consists of a performance hall and a separate concert hall, a gallery, a restaurant, and a café.
- (02)2289-5401~8
- http://www.dfac.or.kr
Available for theatrical arts such as musical and opera, the performance hall can accommodate 283 viewers with their seats intimately close to the stage for the full theater experience.
The concert hall is available exclusively for acoustic concerts and can accommodate 297 audiences. Its front wall is made of glass, letting the sunlight into the interior.
The observatory was built in order to emphasize the purpose Dream Forest was built for. It is a 49.7m-high, 3-story building located west of Dream Forest Arts Center. At the top of the observatory, the downtown Seoul can be seen in a single sight. At north, the sight of Bukhansan (Mt.), Dobongsan (Mt.) and Suraksan (Mt.) provides an amazing panoramic view. To the south, a breathtaking view of Namsan (Mt.) and Hangang (River) can be seen.
- Height: Altitude 139m (Observatory Height 49.7m)
- Open Hours: 10:00 ~ 22:00 (Closed on Monday)
The book café inside the Dream Forest Arts Center is where visitors can rest their feet for a while. The café will be opening shortly.
Built with a unique design concept, Dream Gallery hosts diverse exhibitions from talented artists.
- Open Hours: 09:00~18:00 (Closed on Monday)
- Location: Below Dream Forest Observatory
- Seats: 160 (4 rooms)
- Open Hours: 10:00 ~ 22:00 (open all year)
- Reservation: 02-2289-5450~1
- Location: North of Iris Garden
- Seats: 120
- Open Hours : 10:00 ~ 22:00 (open all year)
- Reservation: 02-2289-5460~1
- Location: 2FDreamForestMuseumofArt
- Seats: 40
- Open Hours : 10:00~20:00 (closed in winter)
- Location: 2F observatory
- Seats: Standing Table
- Open Hours: 10:00~22:00 (Closed on Monday)
The Seoul Metropolitan Government recently launched a plan to establish the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park with the aim of reviving the historical significance of the Dongdaemun Gate and its adjacent area (on the former site of the Dongdaemun Sports Complex consisting of soccer and baseball fields). This park will promote the design industry, which is regarded as a key factor for the city’s industrial competitiveness, over the coming years, and provide its citizens with a public space for rest and relaxation. The plan was officially launched on April 28, 2009, and certain facilities east of the Seoul Seonggwak (Fortress Wall) and Igansumun Sluice Gate were opened to the public on October 27, 2009.
This has led to this area fast becoming a major attraction among the citizens of Seoul. The newly opened facilities include two exhibition halls displaying archaeological features discovered at the Dongdaemun Sports Complex Site, restored relics of the Seoul Seonggwak (Fortress Wall) and the Igansumun Sluice Gate. The Dongdaemun History Museum displays a collection of artifacts discovered at the site, the Dongdaemun Stadium Memorial Museum guides visitors through the history of the Dongdaemun Sports Complex. The Design Gallery and Event Hall holds year-round design-focused exhibitions and events are held all year round.
Planned to be included within the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park and to open at the end of 2011, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza is expected to become an important part of the infrastructure constructed to offer exclusive support for the design industry. The designs of the park are based on the Metonymic Landscape, devised by the British architectural designer Zaha Hadid, who won the international design competition held for the project in August 2007.
Zaha Hadid is an internationally renowned architect and winner of many international competitions and awards, a notable example being the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
Zaha Hadid’s Metonymic Landscape, which has drawn worldwide attention, with its attractively informal and asymmetric designs consists of curves and slanting lines combined with alien images. This aesthetic is expected to perfectly harmonize the elements of urban design, landscape and architecture of Seoul’s history, culture, environment and economy, thus making the Dongdaemun Design Plaza a new landmark.
Zaha Hadid’s Metonymic Landscape, which has drawn worldwide attention, with its attractively informal and asymmetric designs consists of curves and slanting lines combined with alien images. This aesthetic is expected to perfectly harmonize the elements of urban design, landscape and architecture of Seoul’s history, culture, environment and economy, thus making the Dongdaemun Design Plaza a new landmark.
The DDP will be a complex of modern facilities housed in a building (85,368 ㎡, 4 aboveground and 3 underground floors) that includes two multi-purpose convention halls, a design exhibition hall, design museum, design DIY center, future design center, information education center, design resource center and digital archive. The Plaza is expected to serve as a venue for a great variety of design-related international events, including exhibitions and conferences, efforts for the establishment of design networks and programs to support the design industry and individual designers. It will become a global center for commercialization of creative ideas and associated marketing efforts.
Information about the newest design trends from across the world will be collected here before being redistributed. The DDP will grow into a truly global hub for design-related knowledge, trends and marketing.
Information about the newest design trends from across the world will be collected here before being redistributed. The DDP will grow into a truly global hub for design-related knowledge, trends and marketing.
The Dongdaemun History & Culture Park occupies a land area of 65,967 ㎡ and will contain the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which is expected to be a world-leading design center. The park will contain restored archaeological remains of the Seoul Seonggwak (Fortress Wall) that had to be destroyed and buried due to the construction of the Gyeongseong Stadium during the Japanese Colonial Period.The Igansumun Sluice Gate and the Hadogam Site will be included on the site as well. There will also be a public space in the park for the rest and refreshment of citizens. The Dongdaemun History & Culture Park will offer visitors a valuable and special opportunity to relish the cultural legacy of the site and to engage in various creative activities in an environment where tradition harmoniously coexists with the modern.
- A combination between a public park and plaza: conceived from a traditional Korean house enclosed by two tracts of ground -- front courtyard and backyard - that form the key spaces for household daily activities.
- Roof gardens: a combination of a building and a park via roof gardens.
- Linkage between buildings and outer spaces: the landscapes between buildings are linked with the flow of human traffic.
- Planting trees, shrubs and flowers according to their size and function of space: creation of comfortable resting areas that contain trees and flowers that have been chosen in relation to the scale of the manmade structures and people about them.
- Seoul Seonggwak (Fortress Wall): The fortress was first built in 1396 by mobilizing builders from all eight provinces that existed during the Joseon Dynasty. It was rebuilt in 1422, and the walls were remade as stone structures. The wall excavated at the fortress’ Dongdaemun section retains signs of the different building techniques used during the reigns of King Taejong, Sejong and Seongjong.
- Chiseong (Wall Defense Terrace): this structure protrudes from the main wall and was used to coordinate attacks against approaching enemy forces.
- Hadogam Site: Hadogam was a military camp under the Hullyeondogam (Military Training Command), which was established in 1594 to defend the capital and train royal guards and provincial armies.
- Igansumun (Sluice Gate): this structure built under the fortress wall offered a channel for directing water from the Namsan area out of the city.
A three-story building standing south of the DDP site, the DDP Information Center was opened to the public on April 28, 2009, and will remain open until the end of 2011, the projected completion date for the DDP. The center provides visitors with information regarding the DDP via exhibitions and operates an observatory allowing citizens a detailed view of the project site. There are various interactive, hands-on exhibitions in the center helping visitors better understand the present and future of the DDP. Visitors are also offered expert explanations and detailed comments by experienced docents. All the exhibition signs and information leaflets are offered in four languages, Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.
- Opening Hours: 10:00-19:00 (Mon to Sun) /
Closed on New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year’s Day (Seol) and the Harvest Moon Holiday (Chuseok). - Admission Fee: free
- Group Admission: reservations essential for a group of twenty or more people.
- Information: 02-2266-7330~1
The road in front of Gwanghwamun had been referred to as Yukjo (six ministries) Street as it was lined with buildings of six ministries along with others in the Joseon period. Under Japanese rule, all the buildings were dismantled and the road lost its symbolic significance. With the creation of Gwanghwamun Square, Yukjo Street has been restored and various symbolic features (statue of King Sejong and Sejong Story Exhibition Hall, Haechi Madang, Waterways of History, and Haechi statue, among others) are on display, establishing the square as a restored historical site.
As the previous 16-lane thoroughfare without a walkway did not allow pedestrians access to surrounding areas, the central 6 lanes were converted to Gwanghwamun Square, linking the square to nearby commercial areas.
Gwanghwamun Square is expected to serve as a major landmark and improve urban competitiveness along with the rich historical and cultural resources nearby.
King Sejong was born on May 15, 1397, as the third son of Joseon’s 3rd king Taejong and Queen Min, who later was given the title Queen Consort Wongyeong, in Junsubang (the present-day Tongin-dong area), Hanseongbu (Seoul).
He was crowned as the 4th king of Joseon in 1418 at age 22 after his father King Taejong. Based on his love for his people and idea of democracy, King Sejong ushered in the Renaissance Era in Korea through the creation of Hangeul and advances in various areas, including scientific technology, culture and art, the military, foreign policy, agriculture, and astronomy.
He was crowned as the 4th king of Joseon in 1418 at age 22 after his father King Taejong. Based on his love for his people and idea of democracy, King Sejong ushered in the Renaissance Era in Korea through the creation of Hangeul and advances in various areas, including scientific technology, culture and art, the military, foreign policy, agriculture, and astronomy.
Gwanghwamun had been referred to as Jeongmun until it was renamed Gwanghwamun during the reign of King Sejong. Gwang literally means bright, big, and righteous. Accordingly, Gwanghwamun purports to mean the gate through which the King’s virtuous light and culture shines on the nation and convey the King’s desire that all his orders and messages should be right, great, and fair enough to edify the whole nation.
King Sejong was a great leader who brought glory to the nation with his outstanding accomplishment in politics, culture, art, science, and astronomy. The Sejong Story exhibition hall underneath Gwanghwamun Square is dedicated to the great king to honor his life and achievements. The exhibition hall will serve as a cultural landmark that showcases King Sejong’s idea on democracy and the meaning of Korea’s most significant cultural heritage, the invention of Korean alphabet Hangeul. It is the site where King Sejong’s noble mind and love for his people is felt vividly.
- Opening hours: 10:30 to 22:30 on weekdays and Saturday, closed every Monday
- Facilities: custody room- baby stroller and wheelchair rental available/ MP3 audio guide and PDA video guide available
- Location: Haechi Madang in Gwanghwamun Square
- Paintings, photos, sculptures, and other art works related to the square
- Operation period and hours: Year-round, 06:00 ~ 01:00 the following day (subject to change according to the subway schedule)
- Foreign-language interpreters and historical and cultural commentaries by travel guides. Historical and cultural experience of the 600-year history of Seoul with Gwanghwamun Square as the starting point
- Eligibility: a group of at least 20 local and foreign visitors
- Meeting place: in front of the Statue of King Sejong in Central Square
- Walking tour offered: 3 times a day (10:00, 14:00, and 15:00)
- Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (10:00 to 16:00 in winter)
- Reservations: online reservations at least 5 days in advance of the intended visit
(http://plaza.sisul.or.kr/plaza/sub1/sub01_03_a.jsp)
 |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route 1 (Squares) | Gwanghwamun Square~ Deoksugung (Palace) | 2:30 hrs. | Cheonggye Square, Seoul Square, Deoksugung Nearby attractions: Old Russia Legation, Seoul Museum of Arts, and Seoul Museum of History | Deoksugung: closed every Monday |
| Route 2 (Cheonggyecheon (Stream)) | Gwanghwamun Square~ Insa-dong | 2:30 hrs. | Cheonggye Square and bridges across it including Gwangtonggyo (Bridge) , Gwanggyo (Bridge), Jangtonggyo (Bridge) and Samilgyo (Bridge), and Insa-dong | - |
| Route 3 (Museums) | Gwanghwamun~ Hyoja-dong | 2 to 2:30 hrs. | Gyeongbokgung (Palace), the National Palace Museum of Korea, Cheongwadae, Hyoja-dong Sarangbang (under renovation), and National Folk Museum | Gyeongbokgung: closed every Tuesday |
- A tour guided by a professional storyteller who provides a commentary on the features
- Route: from Central Square to Gwanghwamun (Walking tour route is subject to change.)
- Program period: March to October (every Friday to Sunday)
- Program offered: 4 times a day (10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00)
- Duration: 60 to 80 min./ 4 times a day (2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon)
- Contact: the Square Management Team (02-397-5906) / 09:00 ~ 18:00
- Period: every December ~ January the following year (18:00 ~ 23:00)
- Event: Media Art Project, Light Art Project, and more.
In Itaewon, you might find you have pause to wonder if you are, in fact, in North America or Europe. It is the most popular shopping district for foreigners visiting and living in Seoul. While its rival Myeong-dong is favored more among Asians, especially the Japanese and Chinese tourists, the foreigners to be found in Itaewon are predominantly Western tourists or people on business trips. Itaewon is also well known for its abundance of restaurants offering a wide variety of authentic cuisines from other parts of the world – many of these restaurants have even hired chefs from the country of their specialty. Itaewon is a great place to find imported clothes. The clothing shops here also sell the larger sizes that cater to a Western build, although a significant portion of their customers are Koreans who prefer a looser fit. The Central Mosque and War Memorial of Korea are close to Itaewon’s busy commercial district and worth visiting.
In the past, most of the foreigners walking through Itaewon were American military men and women from the 8th US Army Unit located in the vicinity, but the area has now become an international district where ex-pats living in Korea gather.
This commercial district, created for US customers in the past, offers something relatively familiar to foreigners from other countries, and this has laid the cornerstone for Itaewon’s growth as an international tourist destination. You will feel right at home, even on your first visit here.
This commercial district, created for US customers in the past, offers something relatively familiar to foreigners from other countries, and this has laid the cornerstone for Itaewon’s growth as an international tourist destination. You will feel right at home, even on your first visit here.
Daehak-ro has some 100 theatres of all sizes staging various performances throughout the year, and it is oftentimes referred to as the Broadway of Asia.
The outdoor theatre in Marronnier Park and Pungnyu Square are full of the passion of youth expressed in street performances and the drawing of portraits. This dynamic neighborhood is the very origin of the Korean Wave culture.
Daehak-ro was the name given to the area because a university (Daehak in Korean, Seoul National University) was built here. When Seoul National University relocated in the 1970s, Marronnier Park was built on its grounds, and a number of performance halls and art and cultural organizations found a home here instead.
It is always crowded with university students and young people because Daehak-ro is full of restaurants and entertainment venues as well as performance halls.
At Marronnier Park and the courtyard in front of Dongsung Art Center, amateur musicians and performers stage concerts, perform mimes and musicals, and other shows all year round. Daehak-ro also houses a number of international art festivals and large-scale performances to attract foreign tourists longing to personally experience the Korean Wave
There are a lot of street artists and fortune tellers seated along the streets of Daehak-ro. It would be fun to have your fortune told in these busy, exuberant streets.
Marronnier Park is surrounded by a number of performance halls, including the Culture and Art Center, Daehak-ro Theatre, Batanggol Hall, Yeonwoo Theatre, Saemteo Parangsae Theatre, Hakjeon, and the Comedy Art Hall, just to name a few. Tickets for the theatre and other performances in Daehak-ro can be purchased at the Ticket Box located by the entrance to Marronnier Park.
Even after the sun sets and the dark sky spreads overhead, a song from a street musician rises amongst the whispers of lovers in Marronnier Park. The night in Daehak-ro and Marronnier Park is always a place of life, bristling with lively pop culture.
Myeong-dong is considered by most foreign visitors to be the beating heart of Seoul. Indeed, the numerous shopping venues, restaurants, fashion sites, beauty care parlors, and cosmetic surgery clinics in the area have made Myeong-dong a very popular tourist destination.
At this tourist hub of Seoul there are three 5-star hotels and many more other accommodation facilities, banks, and currency exchange booths.
At this tourist hub of Seoul there are three 5-star hotels and many more other accommodation facilities, banks, and currency exchange booths.
A popular fashion district of Seoul, Myeong-dong features department stores and upscale shopping malls. There is no better way to describe Myeong-dong other than as a shopper’s paradise selling everything under the sun – from luxury brand fashion items favored by leading entertainment figures to cheap but good clothes and cosmetics. You will experience a culinary tour-de-force in Myong-dong, from old snack eateries to fine dining, meaning the only reason you’re likely to go hungry is because you are spoilt for choice. If you are lucky enough, you might be able to catch an outdoor fashion or makeup show. Not too far from here are such tourist attractions as Myeongdong Catholic Cathedral, the Chinese district around the Chinese Embassy building (the new embassy building is currently under construction), Gwanghwamun, Seoul City Hall, Namsangol Hanok Village and Cheonggyecheon (Stream). The Chinese district is lined with antique shops and Chinese restaurants run by ethnic Chinese people.
Myeong-dong is also where a woman’s dream of becoming beautiful can be realized. The streets are filled with top-of-the-line beauty parlors here. It is the center of the total beauty care industry, in Korea, known for its leading cosmetic surgery technologies and facilities.
You can be sure that you have never before been to a place like Dongdaemun, the fashion mecca of Korea. Between the rows of skyscrapers, countless people walk with large shopping bags in their hands.
The reason why Dongdaemun is so crowded with Koreans and foreigners alike is because high-quality goods, that do not fall short quality-wise of brand-name products, are available at affordable prices here. With a little effort, you can even find clothes made of better-quality materials in more chic and forward-looking designs than the products found in department stores.
Inside most of the shopping malls in the neighborhood are rows and rows of single room-sized stores where young fashion designers reach for their dream. Recently, news that a piece made by a designer, who had worked in Dongdaemun for about 10 years, was picked up by Printemps Department Store in Paris caused quite a stir.
Dongdaemun is not only the biggest retail market for cloth and textile products in Seoul, but is also a world-famous design/fashion mecca which offers a great range of the latest fashion items – clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and more – at affordable prices. Fashion shows and dance competitions take place day and night in front of the area’s landmark shopping malls, such as Doosan Tower, Migliore and Cerestar. This area springs into life with shoppers from very early in the morning. Many of them are wholesalers coming from all over the country in chartered buses so as to get the best possible deals. Until midnight, Dongdaemun overflows with all kinds of merchandise to suit every taste. Nearby attractions include Dongdaemun gate, Seoul Folk Flea Market and Changsin-dong Toy Market. Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park (DDP), designed by the renowned architect Zaha Hadid, will replace the now demolished Dongdaemun Stadium.
Namdaemun Market is a ‘must-do’ item on your itinerary during your trip to Seoul. Namdaemun Market’s history goes back to the early Joseon period, and it is the best known and most familiar place to Koreans. It is often said that there is nothing you cannot buy here, from small toothpicks to mammoth ivory. Over 10,000 stores deal a wide variety of goods like clothes, accessories, tableware, ginseng products, office supplies, and imported goods. The most popular among foreign visitors are womenswear and eyewear goods. Most eyeglasses are around KRW30,000 in price and very good in quality; they are particularly popular among Japanese tourists shopping in Namdaemun Market.
The open-air market which naturally formed so as to deal with the trade of tax grain (taedongmi) and various regional specialties still continues in this grand tradition today. Namdaemun Market deals with almost everything you can think of, including clothes and other textile products, kitchen utensils, electronic goods, regional specialties including farm and dairy products, daily staples and imported goods. The market brims with curious passersby who soon become shoppers, bargaining over the newly arrived goods with merchants. Many of the merchants here speak English, Japanese and Chinese fluently enough to help out their foreign customers. The area is also widely-known for the savory local foods served at the shabby but cozy restaurants and street vendors. Various types of noodles, “seolleongtang (beef and rice soup),” “maeuntang (spicy fish soup) and even dishes created for the kings of the Joseon Dynasty can all be tried here.
Flower haven all year round : Flowers here at Hangang Park show seasonal changes. Take a stroll around the spacious park and you will get lost in the flowers in full glory all year round from rape blossoms in May to common reeds rarely found in cities. You will not be able to resist the temptation to capture the flower heaven in pictures.
Eco Park and nature learning center : There are nature learning centers in Hangang parks in Yeouido, Jamsil, Ttukseom, Jamwon, and Ichon. Among them, the Silworm Learning Center is popular among school children as an excellent site for learning nature. Furthermore, the eco parks by the Hangang in Yeouido, Gangseo, Amsa-dong, and Godeok preserve wetlands as they are and serve as sites for children’s nature observation.
Migratory bird shelter : The Hangang area is a favorite shelter of migratory birds due to its well-preserved eco system. It is not uncommon to find summer and winter migratory birds in restored wetlands in Bamseom, Gangseo, and Godeok. Children can learn about ecology and observe migratory birds with telescopes.
Namsan is a witness to the 600 years of Seoul as the capital of Korea. Indeed, Namsan holds Seoul’s history. The Seoul Fortress Wall that crosses Namsan and the Smoke-signal Station on Namsan demonstrate that Namsan was once a long serving strategic military point. When the parts of the Seoul Fortress Wall and Bongsudae that have been lost are rebuilt, Namsan will become an even more historically valuable place.
Located in the center of Seoul, Namsan is a Seoul landmark from where the panorama of the capital city presents itself as a feast for the eyes. The nighttime scenery of Seoul viewed from Namsan is especially attractive. There are many other things to enjoy on Namsan, including the re-enactment of the torch relay ceremony and traditional martial arts demonstrations during the day and a light-show in the evening.
On Namsan, one can enjoy the nature of Korea. Walking along the path winding around Namsan, one can enjoy the many seasonal flowers and trees there. The cherry blossoms in April, along the 7 kilometer walking path, are spectacular. Namsan Botanical Garden on the south side of Namsan is a place to view Korea’s wild flowers and beautiful pine trees. If shopping in the city has you beat, take a break on Namsan and enjoy Korea’s nature.
Every year, more than 200 exhibitions and 2,500 international meetings and events take place in COEX, the leader of the Korean exhibition and convention industry. In other words, COEX is at the very heart of the high value-generating convention industry, oftentimes referred to as an industry without chimneys.
However, COEX is much more than an exhibition and convention center. It also consists of COEX Mall, which is a total shopping center; large-scale meeting rooms and performance halls, where various events take place throughout the year; and other cutting-edge infrastructure.
COEX Mall, the biggest shopping mall in Asia, is located on the underground floor of COEX. Countless stores and hundreds of restaurants and food court kiosks fill a space 14 times bigger than the Olympic Stadium. There is not enough time in a day for you to enjoy all that COEX Mall has to offer - restaurants, cinemas, an aquarium, and of course shopping.
Foreigners visiting Korea for the purpose of international meetings, business, or holidays will find the Gangnam area, around COEX, the perfect place to experience the unique and dynamic culture of the city.
In close proximity to COEX are Bongeunsa (Temple), with a 1,000-year history; Kukkiwon, best known for the development of Taekwondo; Apgujeong’s Rodeo Street; and Cheongdam Gallery District, all of which can all be visited in a one-day tour.
Peace Park, which represents World Cup Park, was created in commemoration of the first World Cup Finals of the 21st century, held in Korea, and symbolizes world peace and harmony. Haneul Park is a grassy heaven that reaches out to encapsulate the sky. Noeul Park is a lawn field where you can enjoy Seoul’s beautiful sunsets. In addition, Nanjicheon Park, full of pussy willows, and Nanji Hangang Park, by the Hangang (River), are worth visiting.
World Cup Park is the fruit of a miracle. Before World Cup Park was created, Nanjido was known as a home for mountainous piles of waste and garbage. Nanjido, a small islet in the northwest part of Seoul, was made a landfill in answer to the waste disposal problem that arose, due to the rapid development of Seoul into a metropolitan city, in the late 1970s. From that time onwards, some 90 million tons of waste and garbage turned Nanjido into the “Islet of Death”, and it remained that way for 15 years.
It was the World Cup 2002 that led to the rebirth of Nanjido as an eco-friendly area. The construction of the World Cup Stadium here was accompanied by the area’s transformation into an “eco-park,” beyond the measure of anyone’s imagination. Now, the clean air and refreshing waters of the Hangang (River), the flowers and trees living in perfect harmony with animals like the narrow-mouth frog and the common kestrel, represent nothing short of a dramatic environmental regeneration.
A new landmark will be built in World Cup Park near the Hangang (River). The Nanjido Haneul Bridge, which will connect Noeul Park and Haneul Park, will have a 450 meter long and 6 meter wide transparent base structure.
Bukchon is not an official municipal name; rather, it means that it lies to the north of Cheonggyecheon (Stream) and Jongno, the downtown area of Seoul. It used to be the high-end residential district for royal family members and high-ranking government officials.
The sight of a number of Hanok built next to each other, sharing a wall and touching each other’s eaves, will give you a glimpse into the friendly and open-hearted lifestyle of Koreans. This might be the true charm of Bukchon Hanok Village.
Surrounded by Gyeongbokgung (Palace), Changdeokgung (Palace), and Jongmyo (Royal Shrine), the Bukchon area is a traditional residential area in Seoul that boasts 600 years of history. Its location reflects the views of neo-Confucianism, regarding the world and nature, during the Joseon Dynasty. Traditional Korean houses (“hanok” in Korean) are preserved here and clustered between two palaces; stretching alleys branch out across the beautiful surroundings. Home to some 920 Hanok, a museum, and various craft shops hidden away in the alleys, the Bukchon area is a popular spot for busy tourists to catch a glimpse into the 600-year history of Seoul in a few hours.
Hanok architecture places great emphasis on the topographical features of the land on which it is built. Structural arrangements, layouts, and other spatial aesthetics are major concerns here, as are the styles of the buildings themselves. Relatively smaller buildings somehow embrace and complement the beauty of wide fields, high mountains, and the endlessly stretched sky. Though different in atmosphere and form, a walk through Bukchon’s narrow alleys will bring you the fun and excitement similar to a walk through the small streets of Venice.
One house looks like another, a seemingly dead-end alley meets the main street, and the main street somehow becomes a garden of yet another house here.
Let your guard down and walk freely because you will not get lost in Bukchon. All alleys lead to Gyeongbokgung (Palace), Changdeokgung (Palace), or downtown Seoul. A slow walk through alleys growing narrow, wide, and then narrow again, surrounded by old Hanok, will take you on a trip back in time.
Seoul is the most cutting-edge and futuristic Korean city, and its urban beauty is well known abroad as well. High-rises stand proudly in great number, and roads and the roads and other facilities also boast of the traditional and modern grace of the city.
An all-gray urban view, however, could strike both residents and visitors as dry and dreary. No one could fully enjoy his or her travel in a city that is apparently chic but feels cold and suffocating.
Fortunately, various streams run throughout the city of Seoul. Today, these streams, where dirty water and sewage once flowed, have been reborn as new cultural and recreational areas for Seoulites and visitors. The streams help to wash away soulless images of downtown as well as offer a natural touch and eco-friendly warmth.
In particular, Seoul streams are welcomed as a precious place to experience nature living in the heart of a metropolis. Chattering through a forest of buildings like in a fairytale landscape, with a shoal of fish lively swimming in them, Seoul streams give a clean and clear image to the city.
Four major streams of Seoul are Cheonggyecheon (Stream), Jungnangcheon (Stream), Yangjaecheon (Stream) and Hongjecheon (Stream), and their banks have been recently remodeled in a fancy and modernized way. They have now become public parks, with a variety of leisure and recreational facilities newly built. Fountains, bridges and various sculptures stand above the streams for a picture-perfect view. A stroll around any of these parks with a cup of coffee will give visitors to Seoul an unforgettable memory of their stay.
Especially, different trees and flowers in the environs of Seoul streams present very different scenic spectacles each season. The sweet-smelling flowers along the banks also wonderfully refreshing.
Your entertainment options in this area are further increased due to the close proximity of the Seoul Gallery or the chance to dine at "nakjigolmok", where most restaurants serve extremely spicy grilled octopus dishes.
This magnificent artwork, 63 pages long in its original form, displays a procession consisting of 1,779 people and 779 horses. Under the direction of the most famous Joseon artist, Kim Hong-do, the dynasty’s greatest painters at that time (such as Kim Deuk-sin, Lee In-mun, Chang Han-jong and Lee Myung-kyu) worked together to create this colossal piece of great artistic and historical value.
The Culture Wall stands on the upper stream of Ogansumun (Floodgates) and consists of works each of which measures 10 meters wide and 2.5 meters high by five contemporary Korean artists. Their theme is harmony between man and nature.
Visitors of Biudanggyo (Bridge) also can walk under a splendidly illuminated overhead fountain. This fountain, which spurts from 42.5 meter stone pillars, is 50 meters long and 16 meters wide.
Namsangol Hanok Village displays various household goods and furniture arranged in accordance with the times of which they were a part. Visitors can thus get a glimpse of the lifestyle of powerful literati in the Joseon period. The traditional craft hall here exhibits souvenirs and a variety of works by master craftsmen, designated as intangible cultural treasures. The traditional garden in the village is adorned with native trees that grow in Namsan, a valley where the water flows naturally, a pavilion and a pond. Buried in the innermost region of the village is Time Capsule Plaza, where a capsule containing 600 items representing Seoul and life in Seoul is buried 15 meters underground. Namsangol Hanok Village is an excellent place where visitors can experience various Korean traditional cultural fare such as plays and dance performances as well as folk games.
At Namsangol Hanok Village, visitors can not only learn about the architecture of Hanoks but also about their architectural orientation, structural layout, and furniture arrangement styles popular during the Joseon period. Various pottery works, craftworks, and traditional musical instruments, like Gayageum (12-string harp) and Geomungo (6-string zither), can be found at the Traditional Craftwork Museum.
The fastest and easiest way to learn about the aesthetics behind Hanok creation and their well-organized traditional space culture, short of personally living in one, is a visit to Namsangol Hanok Village.
Yongsan is frequently visited by foreigners in Seoul because of its proximity to Itaewon and Hannam-dong, and the recent development of the area has made it one of the most increasingly popular attractions in Seoul.
The International Finance Zone will be created in Yongsan with the 620 meter-tall Landmark Tower (scheduled for completion in 2010), the International Passenger Terminal, the ferry dock, and the art center along the nearby Hangang (River). This zone is set to turn Yongsan into an economic, cultural, and tourist hub of Seoul. A walkway extending all the way to Hangang Park will be built, and a world-class waterfront park will be developed, with a full view of the Rainbow Waterfall in the Hangang (River), to accommodate visitors’ thirst for shopping and sightseeing.
The Hyoja-dong Sarangbang, known as the ‘presidential museum’ of South Korea, was renovated into the ‘Cheongwadae (Office of the President) Sarangchae’ and opened to the public. As part of its efforts to turn the vicinity of the Cheongwadae in to a tourist attraction, Seoul City started refurbishing the two-story building, with a total space of 4,116.98 square meters, into the ‘Cheongwadae Sarangchae’, in March 2009.
The Hyoja-dong Sarangbang had been used previously as a residence for the presidential chief of staff. Since February 1996, when the street in front of the Cheongwadae was first opened to the public, the building has been used as an exhibition hall for the photos and gifts that former presidents received. About 70,000 people a month, or some 2,500 people a day, have visited the Hyoja-dong Sarangbang and some 90 percent of the visitors were foreign tourists. As a consequence, the building’s space had been ascertained to be too narrow and its facilities aged. Thus, over the past year, the city has been renovating it into a unique tourist attraction in South Korea that features spacious experience zones.
In particular, the ‘Cheongwadae Sarangchae’ is being touted as an exhibition hall that promotes the image of a high-tech Korea, offering creative and unique experiences to visitors through interactive devices. Also, the exhibition hall serves to increase brand awareness of Korea with its various events and exhibition spaces.
On the first floor of the ‘Cheng Wa Dae Sarangchae,’ the ‘National Public Information Hall’ and the ‘Hi Seoul Hall’ can be found. On the second floor are the ‘Presidential Hall,’ ‘National Administration Information Hall’ and ‘G20 Rest Stop.’
- The [National Public Information Hall] delivers the message of Korea being a ‘high-class country with a strong and very rich history despite its small territory.’ To this end, emphasis is placed on an overview of the country, its history, its great men throughout history, its cultural heritage, Korean people who have earned global reputations, and its World Heritage sites as designated by UNESCO, as well as the figures that appear on the country’s banknotes.
- The [Hi Seoul Hall] aims to depict Seoul as the most attractive city in Asia by showing off the historical sites in Seoul, its landmarks, food, traditional and modern culture, and shopping sites.
- The [Presidential Hall] introduces the 60-year history of the Korean presidency and shows off signatures and gifts that former presidents received, helping visitors understand the policies of national administration implemented by former presidents. In particular, there is a mockup presidential office in the Presidential Hall allowing visitors to experience the presidential office.
Accordingly, the exhibition halls of the ‘Cheongwadae Sarangchae’ have been refurbished into places where visitors can have experiences, rather than simply looking around.
