[One Day Walk] Rest and Enjoyment in the Heart of Gangnam... Seolleung 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 pleasant walking spots around subway stations.

Today's starting point is Seolleung Station on Seoul Subway Line 2. Seolleung Station is named after Seolleung, the royal tomb of King Seongjong, the 9th king of the Joseon Dynasty, and his queen consort, Queen Jeonghyeon, located nearby. However, another nearby station on Seoul Subway Line 9 is named Seonjeongneung Station. This is because it encompasses the royal tomb of Jeongneung, the tomb of their son, King Jungjong, the 11th king, forming a single royal tomb complex.

Seonjeongneung, located in the heart of Gangnam's downtown, is the most familiar Joseon royal tomb to Seoul citizens through the subway station name, and around lunchtime, it serves as a park for nearby office workers to enjoy a leisurely urban break for just 1,000 won. Seolleung is uniquely composed as a 'Dongwonigangneung,' where the couple's tombs are separated. Therefore, Seonjeongneung consists of three tombs in total and is also called 'Samneung' (Three Tombs).

However, none of the three tombs actually contain the bodies. It is believed that the bodies were lost due to grave robbery during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1593. After the war ended, Joseon demanded that Japan extradite the grave robbers, and Japan arrested and sent two suspects. However, these two insisted they never committed grave robbery and did not confess despite severe torture. Japan had deceived Joseon by handing over other criminals as the grave robbers. Ultimately, Joseon could not resolve the case, executed the suspects, and covered up the incident, and the king and queen’s bodies were never recovered.

Seonjeong of Bongeunsa Temple in Gangnam-gu, Seoul
[Photo by Seoul Institute]

Next, Bongeunsa Temple, which is closely related to Seonjeongneung, is worth visiting. It was first established in 794 during the reign of King Wonseong of Silla in the Later Three Kingdoms period by Yeonhoe Guksa under the name Gyeonseongsa. However, in 1498, Queen Jeonghyeon, who became the queen dowager, designated Gyeonseongsa as a 'royal tomb temple' to pray for King Seongjong’s repose, who was buried in Seolleung, and renamed it Bongeunsa. She also granted the temple extensive land and slaves. Furthermore, Queen Munjeong, consort of King Jungjong, promoted Buddhism and designated Bongeunsa as the leading temple (Susa Temple) of Seon Buddhism, the origin of the Jogye Order, greatly elevating its status. Today, Bongeunsa is a large temple located unusually in the middle of the city, affiliated with the Jogye Order. It is easily accessible, attracting many Buddhists and international tourists, and also operates templestay programs.

Seoul Gangnam-gu COEX Starfield Library is bustling with citizens. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Crossing the street from Bongeunsa leads directly to COEX, an exhibition center building within the Korea International Trade Center. The COEX exhibition center was first built in 1979, and since then, various buildings have been added, including the Korea Trade Tower office building, ASEM Tower, Parnas Tower, the large shopping mall COEX Mall, Hyundai Department Store, and hotels such as Grand InterContinental, InterContinental, and Oakwood Premier, forming a massive complex shopping mall. Besides shopping, COEX offers various facilities such as an aquarium and a cinema, making it a great place to spend the day.

Panoramic view of Jamsil Sports Complex, Songpa-gu, Seoul [Photo by Seoul Institute]

Today's final course is Jamsil Sports Complex. The development of the sports facilities coincided with the development of Gangnam, and it became the main stadium for the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. For this reason, the largest main stadium is called the 'Seoul Olympic Main Stadium.' It is the largest stadium in Korea, with a capacity of up to 100,000 people, and top-tier artists such as BTS, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, and IU perform here. In addition, the complex includes Jamsil Baseball Stadium, home to the LG Twins and Doosan Bears, where games are held almost daily during the baseball season, as well as auxiliary stadiums, an indoor gymnasium, a student gymnasium, and a swimming pool, offering a variety of sports facilities.