Seoul City Selects Namdaemun Market, Samcheong Park, and Sewol-i Gamyeon as 'March Future Heritage'

Monthly 'Future Heritage of the Month' with Stories Selected... Promoted through Card News and Events
Future Heritage Related to March Selected as March's Future Heritage through Citizen Voting

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced that through a citizen vote to select the 'Future Heritage of March,' 'Namdaemun Market,' 'Samcheong Park,' and the poem 'If Time Passes' have been chosen as the Future Heritage of March.

'Namdaemun Market' is Seoul's representative wholesale market with a long history of about 600 years, having started as a market street during the Joseon Dynasty under King Taejong. It was selected as a Future Heritage in 2013 due to being the nation's largest wholesale and retail market, its high recognition with an average of about 300,000 daily visitors, and around 10,000 foreign visitors.

'Samcheong Park' was designated as Korea's first urban park in March 1940 and was selected as a Future Heritage in 2013. Located in the heart of Seoul, it is a place where one can simultaneously understand the history of the Seoul Fortress Wall and the natural ecology. Since its establishment, it has served as a resting place for many citizens within the city.

'If Time Passes' is considered one of Korea's representative modernist poems written by poet Park In-hwan. Especially famous is the legendary story of its creation, said to have been composed spontaneously in a tavern in Myeongdong and set to music, making it a Future Heritage selected in 2016 that evokes the atmosphere of Myeongdong at the time.

Card news and interesting readings related to the 'Future Heritage of the Month' can be found on the Seoul Future Heritage website (futureheritage.seoul.go.kr) under the 'Future Heritage of the Month' board, as well as on the Seoul Future Heritage Instagram and Facebook pages. Additionally, from the 2nd to the 10th, Seoul Future Heritage SNS is holding an event where if you leave a comment about an item you want to buy at 'Namdaemun Market,' which was overwhelmingly selected as number one in the citizen vote, 50 people will be randomly given cafe coupons.

'Seoul Future Heritage' refers to the modern and contemporary heritage of Seoul that holds shared memories and emotions among many citizens. Since its inception in 2013, 488 Future Heritage sites have been designated. Seoul City is implementing various programs involving citizens, such as contests, Future Heritage Grand Tours, and operating the Future Heritage Hall within Donuimun Museum Village, to build public consensus on preserving Future Heritage.

Baek Woon-seok, Director of Seoul City's Cultural Policy Division, said, "We ask for your great interest in the Future Heritage of March selected by citizen voting," and added, "The monthly voting for the Future Heritage of the Month will continue, so we hope for active participation from all citizens."