[Photo] A New Year of Hope Rising Above Seoul City Center

The year of the Black Rabbit, Gyemyo, has dawned. The sun, blazing fiercely, casts a red glow over downtown Seoul. Seoul has been the capital of the Korean Peninsula for 600 years and is a city of history and culture with over 2,000 years of heritage, as well as a global mega-city approaching a population of 10 million. Last May, with the opening of Cheongwadae, once the seat of power, the area centered around Cheongwadae, Seochon, Bukchon, and the five grand palaces is entering a new phase. Gwanghwamun Square has been renovated and returned to the citizens, and the Songhyeon-dong site, which had been forbidden land for a century, was opened to the public ahead of the construction of the 'Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall.' This is a time when the need for a grand design of the historic city center within the four main gates is increasing. Gazing at the majestic sunrise from Inwangsan Mountain, we dream of Seoul's vigorous future. / Reporter Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@