Seeking to Preserve Cultural Heritage and Improve the Residential Environment
Pungnap-dong is home to the national heritage site “Seoul Pungnap-dong Earthen Fortress,” where excavation surveys have continued for more than 30 years, restricting large-scale maintenance projects. As a result, residents have experienced ongoing inconveniences, and there has been high local anticipation for temporary use of the site.
In response to the prolonged excavation situation, the district has sought ways to allow partial use of the space by residents. The current plan focuses on both preserving cultural heritage and improving the residential environment, while actively reflecting residents’ opinions. The Pungnap Creative Village Camp was originally built in 1983 as a dormitory for Korea Exchange Bank, and later served as an English Village and Creative Village, but was demolished in June this year due to building deterioration and safety concerns. The site is currently owned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, with the National Seoul Cultural Heritage Research Institute preparing for excavation.
The district has proposed a plan to temporarily use part of the demolished site as a community sports park, on the premise of phased excavations. In a survey conducted in June, 84% of the 772 respondents indicated a preference for “phased excavation.” The most preferred facility was “sports facilities” (43%), followed by parks (37%) and parking lots (6%). For specific sports facilities, respondents selected a park golf course (31%), basketball court (21%), and inline skating rink (15%).
The temporary use area covers 10,733 square meters of the Creative Village site (around 45, Pungseong-ro 14-gil), excluding the 2,000 square meters reserved for the research institute and 4,000 square meters designated for future excavation, from the total area of 16,733 square meters. All facilities will be constructed with shallow foundations within 1 meter underground to protect the heritage site, and the duration and area of use will be adjusted according to the excavation phases.
Songpa District stated, “Although temporary, the sports park will bring vitality to residents’ lives and serve as a venue for community interaction.” The final decision on the plan will be made this month based on the results of the National Heritage Administration’s Cultural Heritage Committee review.
Seo Gangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, emphasized, “Residents of Pungnap-dong have long faced various restrictions in daily life due to the need to preserve cultural heritage. The establishment of a sports park will not only provide a small respite in their daily lives, but also serve as a good example of how heritage preservation and community convenience can coexist.”
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