‘Noryangjin Underground Drainage’ Transformed into a Cultural and Historical Education Space

[Seoul District News] Dongjak-gu Renovates 92m Section of Historically Valuable Underground Drainage, Opens to Residents on 26th · Elevator Installed to Improve Accessibility, Screening Videos Related to Modern Railway History

Noryangjin Underground Drainage Tunnel Interior Space

A resident is looking at the underground drainage signboard in Noryangjin.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Changwoo Lee) announced that it will transform the 'Noryangjin Underground Drainage Channel,' the oldest drainage channel in Seoul, into a cultural and historical education space and open it to residents starting with an opening ceremony on the 26th.

The Noryangjin Underground Drainage Channel is a horseshoe-shaped sewer box constructed in the 1890s, before the opening of the Gyeongin Line, Korea's first railway. It is located beneath Noryangjin-ro (Noryangjin-dong 40-90) and the Line 1 railway, and was used to discharge urban rainwater and sewage until about ten years ago. The structure measures 2.5 meters in width, 3.3 meters in height, and 92 meters in total length.

This section was discovered in 2011 during a sewer pipeline maintenance project as part of flood relief efforts around Dongjak-gu Office. A joint investigation by Dongjak-gu and Seoul City estimated that it was constructed nearly 20 years earlier than the underground water pipeline at Seoul Plaza, designated as a cultural asset around 1910.

Notably, the Noryangjin Underground Drainage Channel contains sections from the initial installation in the 1890s, parts installed during the double-tracking of the Gyeongbu Line in the 1960s, and sections added during the electrification of the metropolitan subway in the 1970s. This coexistence allows a comprehensive view of the modern sewer system's development, making it a cultural heritage site with high academic, technical, and historical preservation value.

Considering the cultural and rarity value of the underground drainage channel, the district has maintained the form of the modern civil engineering facility as much as possible while upgrading its safety rating to B (good) through detailed safety inspections and internal box repairs and reinforcements.

Additionally, two elevators were installed at the entrance and exit, and a new entrance with straight stairs was created to improve accessibility for people with mobility challenges.

Opposite the elevators, a video exhibition space was established to screen videos about the history of modern railways and Noryangjin, allowing residents to enjoy the traces of local changes while walking through the area.

On the 26th at 2 p.m., an opening ceremony for the Noryangjin Underground Drainage Channel will be held, attended by Dongjak-gu Mayor Changwoo Lee, the Director of Urban Construction, and about 20 local residents.

Mayor Changwoo Lee said, “The Noryangjin Underground Drainage Channel, built during the formation of the modern sewer system, is a space where one can observe Seoul's urban development and the history of modern sewers. I hope that the Noryangjin Underground Drainage Channel, unveiled to residents for the first time, will establish itself as a special venue for historical education.”