Seoul's 'January Future Heritage' Selected: Yeouido Park, Tram Viewing, and Bosingak Bell Ringing

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Seoul City announced on the 4th that it has selected "Yeouido Park," Ha Geun-chan's novel "Jeoncha Gungyeong" (Tram Sightseeing), and the "Bosingak Bell-Ringing Ceremony" as the "Future Heritage of January," a monthly selection of future heritage sites with interesting stories.

Yeouido Park, established in January 1999, is a popular spot in downtown Seoul visited by 20,000 to 35,000 citizens daily depending on the season. Before becoming a park, from 1916 to 1971, the area was used as an airfield and an air force base. In 1972, it was developed into the 5.16 Plaza, hosting large-scale mass rallies, thus holding a long history.

The novel Jeoncha Gungyeong, which records the past scenery of Seoul and the emotions of citizens encountering the subway for the first time, was published in January 1976 through "Munhak Sasang" (Literary Thought). It was selected as future heritage because it depicts Seoul’s history, including the cityscape and the subway opening at that time. Ha Geun-chan, famous as the author of the novel "Sunanidae," portrays a day trip of Jo, a local government official, and his grandson encountering the new technology of the subway with his characteristic strong local color and realistic descriptions. Through this, the novel conveys a sense of regret and emptiness about rapid social changes and nostalgia for the warm human touch of the old days.

The "Bosingak Bell-Ringing Ceremony," most famous as the bell that signals the start of the New Year’s Eve, was selected as future heritage because it has been celebrated with Seoul citizens since 1953. The Bosingak bell-ringing event is held not only on New Year’s Day but also on various commemorative days such as March 1st Movement Day and Liberation Day. However, this year, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, it was replaced by an online event for the first time.

Seoul Future Heritage refers to modern and contemporary Seoul heritage that holds shared memories and emotions among many citizens. Since its inception in 2013, 488 sites have been designated. To foster public consensus on preserving future heritage, the city implements various programs involving citizens, such as contests, the Future Heritage Grand Tour, and operating the Future Heritage Hall within Donuimun Museum Village.

Card news and interesting reading materials related to this month’s future heritage can be found on the Seoul Future Heritage website, Instagram, and Facebook.