A Century of Gangnam History at a Glance

Gangnam-gu Hosts ‘Remind Gangnam’ Special Exhibition

Reorganized and Relocated from Seoul Museum of History’s ‘Hanti Village Daechi-dong’ Exhibition... Showcasing Gangnam’s Transformation from a Rural Village to a Thriving Urban Area

Exhibiting 150 Historical Items Including a 90-Year-Old Diploma and 60-Year-Old Student Notebooks from Six Schools with a 100-Year History, Along with Residents’ Old Memorabilia

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will hold the special exhibition ‘Remind Gangnam’ at the district office main building from July 3 to August 31.

This exhibition was planned to commemorate the first anniversary of the 8th elected administration, aiming to revisit Gangnam’s past footsteps with the spirit of ‘On-go-ji-shin’ (learning from the past to innovate) and to understand its history and identity. It reexamines the dramatic transformation of Gangnam from a typical rural village into the nation’s top educational hub and a global luxury city, displaying old records from schools with a 100-year history and residents’ vintage collections.

The exhibition, held on the second floor of the main building, is a relocated and reorganized version of the ‘Hanti Village Daechi-dong’ special exhibition held at the Seoul Museum of History from November 2022 to March 2023. It offers a comprehensive view of Gangnam’s development through Daechi-dong’s transformation, featuring stories of three generations from Daechi-dong based on local interviews, the old appearance of the original village ‘Hanti Village,’ the ginkgo tree ritual, apartments from the 1970s and 1980s in Daechi-dong, and materials from Whimoon High School, which relocated from Gangbuk.

Additionally, 30 old photographs of Gangnam from the 1950s to 1980s, preserved in the Gangnam-gu archive, are on display to showcase the district’s past appearance.

From July 3 to July 7, 150 historical items including a 1931 diploma, student IDs, and school magazines from six local schools with a 100-year history (Gyeonggi High School, Gyeonggi Girls’ High School, Sudogong Technical High School, Sookmyung Girls’ High School, Jungdong High School, and Whimoon High School) will be exhibited in the first-floor lobby of the main building. Also on display are nostalgic items preserved by residents, such as rice cake steamers, rice cake molds, and charcoal irons.

The opening ceremony, held at 3 p.m. on July 3, will be attended by members of the Daechi Alumni Association, Apgujeong Alumni Association, and long-time local residents to celebrate the exhibition’s launch. On the same day, an opening event with exhibition commentary will be held. From July 3 to 9, the ‘Remind Booth’ will offer hands-on experiences with nostalgic items such as old school uniforms, armbands, Gonggi Nori (a traditional Korean game), paper dolls, and book covers. An event for sharing photos of exhibition visits and booth experiences will also be conducted through Gangnam-gu’s SNS channels.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, stated, “I hope this exhibition allows people to reflect on Gangnam’s living history and feel a sense of pride. We will continue to create various opportunities to share history and the future together with our residents.”