Gu, Hongdae Red Road R1~R2 Section (Walkable Street) 500m Old Facilities Demolition and Renovation
Replacing Retaining Walls and Traveler Convenience Facilities That Blocked Traffic Flow and Commercial Areas with Multipurpose Open Spaces and Expanded Busking Zones
Park Gang-su, Mapo-gu Mayor, “Recreating a Unique and Pleasant Street to Establish It as a World-Class Tourist Attraction”
Hongdae Red Road is undergoing a complete transformation.
Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) announced that the area around Hongdae Red Road, which opened in 2023, is set to be reborn once again through infrastructure improvement works.
Scenery of Hongdae Red Road, a representative attraction of Mapo-gu, awarded the 2023 Asia Urban Landscape Award / Provided by Mapo-gu Office
The district plans to demolish the aging traveler convenience facilities, outdoor exhibition zone, busking zone, plaza stage, and Meeting Plaza located in the Red Road R1~R2 zones (Eoulmadang-ro 107~155-1) by the end of January next year, and transform the area into a comfortable space equipped with enhanced convenience.
The approximately 500-meter section is the core of Hongdae Red Road and mainly consists of outdoor exhibition spaces, dance performances, and live busking areas that showcase Hongdae’s unique character. However, according to the district, the old facilities have lowered user convenience and utilization.
Accordingly, Mapo-gu plans to create a multipurpose open space by demolishing traveler convenience facilities and the outdoor exhibition zone, while newly establishing and redeveloping the busking zone, focusing on installing substantial convenience facilities for tourists.
To restore its function as a plaza, the district will maintain unnecessary green areas in Meeting Plaza and place benches and trees along the plaza’s boundaries to enhance pedestrian safety and resting areas.
The traveler convenience facilities, which were cut off from commercial areas and pedestrian flow and were dark and underutilized due to their semi-basement structure, will be transformed into a multipurpose open space that ensures openness and allows for performances and rest.
The outdoor exhibition zone, which frequently caused complaints about smoking due to an old retaining wall blocking the view, will have the wall removed to secure sightlines and create resting areas such as a busking stage and photo zone utilizing the height differences.
The existing busking zones, which had interference issues due to narrow spacing between four stages, will be reduced to two zones to expand the space, and seating areas for spectators will also be improved.
Additionally, a public restroom, which was insufficient compared to the number of visitors to Hongdae Red Road, will be newly installed at the tourist information center.
The district aims to complete the project by the end of January next year and expects that this Hongdae Red Road improvement project will greatly contribute not only to revitalizing street arts and attracting tourists through the improvement of old and underutilized spaces but also to activating commercial areas by securing pedestrian flow and sightlines.
For this project, last year Mayor Park Gang-su held a ‘Policy Dialogue for the Activation of Hongdae Tourism’ and a ‘Win-Win Committee’ involving Hongdae cultural and artistic groups and local residents, incorporating opinions from various sectors into the design. The district also held a residents’ briefing session to seek understanding and cooperation for the construction.
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “This improvement project is a process for Hongdae Red Road to establish itself as a global cultural and tourism landmark beyond Korea. We will redevelop Hongdae Red Road into a unique and vibrant street full of culture and art, making it an attractive destination that everyone wants to visit and be satisfied with.”
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