A 'Historical and Cultural Park' Ten Times the Size of Seoul Plaza to Be Created Around Gyeonghuigung Area

Seoul City Prepares Comprehensive Spatial Plan for 136,000㎡ Area around Gyeonghuigung Site
Phased Changes until 2035... Space Development Triggered by Education Office Relocation
Donuimun Restoration to Proceed Reflecting Citizens' Opinions from a Long-Term Perspective

A historical garden will be established at Gyeonghuigung, a representative palace of the late Joseon Dynasty. By 2035, a historical and cultural park ten times the size of Seoul Plaza will be created around Gyeonghuigung, with linked development involving the nearby Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education site.

On the 17th, Seoul City announced that following the Cultural Heritage Committee's approval of the maintenance plan between Heunghwamun and Sungjeongmun gates, approximately 136,000㎡ of public land around Gyeonghuigung?including the National Meteorological Museum, Seoul Citizens' University and garage, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and Donuimun Museum Village?will be developed into a historical and cultural park.

Comprehensive Spatial Planning Proposal for the Gyeonghuigung Site Area. [Provided by Seoul City]

Despite being a large open space in the city center, Gyeonghuigung is not well known to citizens, with only about 1,500 daily visitors. Considering that Gyeongbokgung receives 57,430 visitors and Deoksugung 28,150 visitors daily, this is a low figure. Moreover, the nearby National Meteorological Museum, Seoul Citizens' University, and Seoul city garage have low accessibility and lack content, leading to public neglect. Donuimun Museum Village, although established as a cultural facility through public contributions during the 2017 redevelopment of Donuimun District 1, currently exists only as a physical space and requires about 2 billion KRW annually for operation.

Accordingly, Seoul City plans to implement a comprehensive spatial plan for the Gyeonghuigung area, starting with the construction of the Gyeonghuigung Historical Garden, followed by greening Donuimun Museum Village, restoring the Hanyangdoseong Fortress and Donuimun Gate, and other spatial improvement projects under four major themes by 2035.

First, to create the Gyeonghuigung Historical Garden, facilities unrelated to the historical context, such as vehicle access roads, will be removed, and a palace forest will be established. The space between Heunghwamun and Sungjeongmun gates will be maintained within this year, and the entire appearance of Gyeonghuigung will be gradually transformed by 2026.

Considering the relocation of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in 2026, the western side of Gyeonghuigung will be developed into a complex cultural space that can contribute to activating the area, in cooperation with Seoul Citizens' University and the Seoul city garage, through consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Discussions on the necessity of relocating the History Museum will also begin. The Seoul Museum of History, a valuable cultural asset that showcases Seoul's history and traditional culture, was approved for construction within Gyeonghuigung in 1988 and opened in 2002, but there have been ongoing opinions that it should be built elsewhere.

The restoration of Donuimun Gate, the only one of the four main gates not yet restored, will be pursued with ample public consultation from a long-term perspective. Last year, Seoul City prepared a basic restoration plan for Donuimun Gate around Jeongdong Intersection after multiple expert consultations. Additionally, to revitalize the Gyeonghuigung area, Donuimun Museum Village will be reorganized in connection with the creation of the historical garden.

Jo Nam-jun, Director of the Seoul City Urban Space Headquarters, said, "It is time for a new paradigm in the future-oriented utilization of national heritage," adding, "We hope that the once solemn and serious Gyeonghuigung area will be reborn as a vibrant space for culture and leisure and rise as a new landmark of Seoul."

View of the landscape from Donuimun Museum Village. [Source=Seoul City]