Yongsan-gu Adds 4 More Historical and Cultural Landmark Signboards

As Part of the Project to Restore Historical Streets... Four Forgotten Historical Sites Including Old Itaewon Road Newly Excavated

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) has discovered four additional forgotten historical sites as part of its project to restore historical accuracy and installed information plaques at these locations.

The newly identified sites (installation locations) are ▲ Itaewon Old Road (54-99 Duteokbawi-ro, entrance to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Welfare Center) ▲ Chanbaramjae (on Noksapyeong pedestrian overpass) ▲ Site of the U.S. military officers’ quarters at Yongsan Base (entrance at 221 Seobinggo-ro) ▲ Joseon Army Warehouse (entrance to Yongsan Park Gallery, 1-1 Hangangno 1-ga).

Itaewon Old Road was part of the old Yeongnam-daero, which connected Hanyang, Yongin, Dongnae, and Busan. Following this road led to Itaewon, the first lodging facility on the southern side of the Hanyang Fortress. It was also used as the route for the Joseon Tongsinsa diplomatic missions traveling between Joseon and Japan. However, after the Russo-Japanese War (1904?1905), the Japanese military established a base in Yongsan, cutting off the old road. Today, Gate 20 of the Yongsan U.S. military base blocks the path.

Chanbaramjae is a mountain pass located between Namsan and Dunjisan (within the Yongsan U.S. military base). It was named for the consistently cold winds that blow through the area. For centuries, our ancestors crossed this pass to reach the Itaewon area. Shortly after the Korean War, a statue of General Coulter of the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA) was placed here. In 1977, with the construction of the Itaewon underpass, the statue was relocated to the current Children’s Grand Park in Gwangjin-gu.

The Joseon Army Warehouse was a facility built by the Japanese military in 1908. It served as a strategic base for the Japanese military command stationed in Yongsan and as a military supply depot covering the entire Korean Peninsula during Japan’s occupation and colonial rule. During the Pacific War, it was used as a forced labor camp for Allied prisoners of war. After the U.S. military stationed there, it became a supply depot for U.S. Forces Korea, and in the 1960s, the United Service Organizations (USO) operated there, significantly influencing Korean popular culture.

The site of the U.S. military officers’ quarters at Yongsan Base is located on land returned by the U.S. military in 1986, where the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) built U.S. military rental housing. A total of 129 households (16 buildings) of field-grade officers and their families lived here. The buildings are characterized by their low height of 2 to 3 stories and abundant green spaces. The site was opened to the public for the first time last August, but some facilities have been closed again due to the resurgence of COVID-19.

The information plaques measure 48 cm in width and 170 cm in height. They were reviewed by experts and inspected by the National Institute of the Korean Language.

The district began installing historical information plaques last year. In the past year alone, plaques (14) and benches (7) were installed at 15 locations including ▲ Gyeongcheon Aeinsa Orphanage site ▲ Geon-guk Silcheonwon Training Center site ▲ Kim Sang-ok’s resistance site ▲ Son Ki-jeong’s former home.

By the end of this year, the district plans to install five more plaques and publish and distribute a booklet titled “(Tentative) 100 Historical and Cultural Landmarks,” which will combine all existing cultural heritage markers with the newly created plaques.

Next year, the district plans to create 5 to 7 themed exploration courses and operate tour programs that citizens can participate in.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Yongsan, which was the center of water transportation during the Joseon Dynasty and developed into a modern commercial and military city, is a historical site wherever you go,” adding, “We will uncover forgotten history and bring stories to life throughout the region.”

In addition to installing information plaques, the district has continued its historical restoration projects through various means such as publishing local history books including “Finding Yongsan’s History,” “Drawing Yongsan,” and “Guide to the Historical and Cultural City of Yongsan,” constructing the (tentative) Yongsan History Museum and the Lee Bong-chang Memorial Hall, permanently opening the Uiryeolsa Shrine in Hyochang Park, and erecting a memorial for activist Yu Gwan-sun.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.