[One Day Walk] A Path to Experience Our Modern History at Once... Chungjeongno Station

Editor's NoteThe subway is a transportation method that anyone can easily access and travel safely, and it is also an important point for daily walking. We introduce walkable places around subway stations.

Today's course is around Chungjeongno Station. Chungjeongno is named after the posthumous title of the patriotic martyr Min Yeong-hwan from the late Joseon Dynasty. As the name suggests, it is a place that holds various traces related to our modern and contemporary history since the late Joseon period.

Seodaemun-gu Chungjeong Apartment Exterior View

When you exit from Exit 9 of Chungjeongno Station and walk along the street, you will see an old green building. This somewhat unique building is Chungjeong Apartment, known as the oldest apartment in Korea, built in the 1930s. It is the first apartment in Korea constructed with reinforced concrete and features a classical apartment style with a courtyard garden design. However, since the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee decided last month to demolish this building and construct a residential complex with five underground floors and 28 above-ground floors, it is recommended to visit before the building disappears. However, since it is a residential area, it is best not to enter the building.

Seosomun Apartment in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, the oldest mixed-use residential and commercial apartment complex in South Korea. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The next place to visit is also an apartment. Seosomun Apartment, built in 1971, is the oldest mixed-use residential complex in Korea. It was built by covering a former stream, and the building has a unique curved shape following the trace of the waterway. This area is also frequently mentioned in plans to convert it into public housing, so it may be demolished soon. Therefore, it is recommended to visit while the building still stands.

Catholic Martyrs' Shrine Tower inside Seosomun History Park, Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Next, Seosomun History Park is the largest Catholic martyrdom site in Korea, home to the Seosomun Martyrs' Shrine Museum. During the Joseon Dynasty, this place was a site for executions, where over 100 Catholic believers were martyred through several persecutions in the 1800s. Later, the Vatican canonized 103 martyrs, including Father Andrew Kim Dae-geon, as saints in 1984, and beatified 124 martyrs, including Paul Yun Ji-chung, in 2014. Among those martyred here, 44 have been declared saints and 27 beatified, making it Korea's largest martyrdom site producing the most saints and blesseds. In 2019, the site was newly renovated, and the history park and museum were reopened.

Seosomun Martyrs' Memorial inside Yakhyeon Catholic Church, Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Yak-hyeon Catholic Church in Jungnim-dong is Korea's first Western-style Catholic church, built in 1892. After long persecution, missionary activities were officially recognized by the Korea-France Treaty of 1886, and the church was constructed near the Seosomun martyrdom site. The name Yak-hyeon comes from the name of a hill nearby where medicinal herbs were traded. The church features both Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles and holds significant architectural value, designated as Historic Site No. 252.

Sohn Kee-chung Sports Park. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Today's final destination is Son Gi-jeong Sports Park. It is a space commemorating Son Gi-jeong, Korea's first Olympic gold medalist, who won the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics during the Japanese colonial period. The park operates as a neighborhood park with a memorial hall, plaza, walking paths, and various sports facilities. In 2020, it was newly renovated to enhance its athletic character by installing a new running track and establishing a running center.