Seoul City Changes Name of 'Yangjae Citizen's Forest' to 'Maeheon Citizen's Forest'

Proposed to the National Geographic Names Committee: Renaming to 'Maeheon Citizen's Forest'
Consistency with the Names of Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall and Surrounding Key Facilities

On the 11th, as the clear autumn weather continues, citizens visiting Yangjae Citizen's Forest in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are enjoying a walk and savoring the autumn atmosphere. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 13th that it has changed the name of the park located in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, from ‘Siminnui Sup’ to ‘Maeheon Siminnui Sup’. Until now, Siminnui Sup has commonly been called ‘Yangjae Siminnui Sup’.

Seoul City changed the name to ‘Maeheon Siminnui Sup’ to reflect the presence of the memorial hall of Maeheon Yun Bong-gil, who sacrificed himself for the independence of the country, and to maintain consistency with the names of surrounding major facilities.

Earlier, Seoul City conducted a survey targeting 4,356 park users, online participants, and local residents for the new name change, and based on the results, the name ‘Maeheon Siminnui Sup’, which received a high approval rate of 78.6%, was submitted to the Seocho-gu and Seoul City Naming Committees and then to the National Naming Committee. The National Naming Committee made the final announcement on September 23.

Seoul City plans to reorganize the National Land Information Platform, National Land Information Map, and portals where the park is listed as ‘Yangjae Siminnui Sup’, and promptly replace park guide facilities to ensure no inconvenience to visitors due to the name change.

Meanwhile, ‘Maeheon Siminnui Sup’ is a park that introduced the concept of a forest, featuring a dense forest rarely seen in urban areas. It was created in 1986 to improve the environment around the Yangjae Tollgate, which was the gateway to Seoul at the time, ahead of the Seoul Asian Games and Seoul Olympics.

Yoo Young-bong, Director of the Seoul City Green City and Leisure Bureau, said, “Since the park’s name includes the pen name of Yun Bong-gil, who devoted himself to the country’s independence, we will develop and manage it as a park imbued with patriotism and a happy resting place for citizens.”