Restoration of 'Deoksugung-gil' Damaged by Japanese Occupation to Complete in June... Creation of 'Jeongdong Modern History Road'

Deoksugung Seonwonjeon Old Path... Adjacent to Deoksugung Stone Wall Road and Gojong's Road, Connecting Historical Resources
Pedestrian Path Widened Twice, Rest Areas Created, Focused Improvement on Walking Environment

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] ‘Deoksugung-gil,’ located near the U.S. Ambassador’s residence behind Deoksugung Palace, is popular among tourists and nearby office workers as it offers a tranquil stone wall path in the heart of the city where one can enjoy a leisurely stroll. With Deoksu Elementary School and a church nearby, there is a steady flow of pedestrians even on regular days. However, the walkway is narrow, making it uncomfortable to walk, and when crowded, people sometimes walk on the road, raising concerns about pedestrian safety.

On the 11th, Seoul City announced that it will renovate ‘Deoksugung-gil’ into a safe and comfortable walking trail while preserving the historical significance of Jeong-dong, which bears various traces of modern history. The total length of the section is 320 meters, starting from the entrance of ‘Gojong’s Road’ at the back gate of Deoksugung Palace, passing the roundabout in front of Deoksu Elementary School, and continuing to the three-way intersection in front of Donghwa Duty-Free Shop. Construction will begin on the 15th, with completion targeted for June.

This section is part of the second course (Old Deoksugung Station: former Russian Legation to in front of Donghwa Duty-Free Shop) of the ‘Jeong-dong Modern History Trail’ (total length 2.6 km), which Seoul City is developing as part of the ‘Jeong-dong Area Urban Regeneration Project.’

This area was once home to Seonwonjeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace (where the royal portraits (Eojin) of Joseon Dynasty kings were enshrined), which was damaged during the Japanese colonial period. It is also adjacent to the ‘Deoksugung Stone Wall Road,’ which was fully connected for the first time in 60 years in 2018, and ‘Gojong’s Road,’ restored by the Cultural Heritage Administration, so it is expected to strengthen connectivity with the scattered historical resources in the area.

The renovation will be carried out in two main sections: the ‘Deoksugung-gil section’ (from Gojong’s Road to the roundabout in front of Deoksu Elementary School, 240 meters long) and the ‘Saemunan-ro 2-gil section’ extending eastward (from the roundabout in front of Deoksu Elementary School to in front of Donghwa Duty-Free Shop, 80 meters long). Efforts will be made to physically improve the narrow and inconvenient pedestrian environment while reflecting the local identity.

Since the Deoksugung-gil section is a major pedestrian route frequented by tourists, office workers, and Deoksu Elementary School students, the focus will be on improving the inconvenient and aging pedestrian environment to ensure walking convenience and safety. The narrow sidewalks, only 2 meters wide, will be converted into a single sidewalk, expanding the sidewalk width up to 4.4 meters, nearly doubling it (from 2 meters to 3.7?4.4 meters). Pedestrian safety fences will be installed, and the fence landscape of Deoksu Elementary School will be improved to create a comfortable and safe street for walking.

Additionally, to preserve the atmosphere of the ‘Jeong-dong Modern History Trail,’ calm-colored paving materials (Pocheon stone) will be used, and tiles matching the brick color of the nearby Salvation Army History Museum will be applied to the fence along the Deoksu Elementary School trail to provide a sense of unity.

Saemunan-ro 2-gil will undergo a road diet to expand the existing sidewalk width to 6 meters (from 3.3 meters to 6 meters). ‘Deoksu Small Park,’ which currently does not function as a park, will have street trees planted and rest areas created. An information board indicating the ‘Jeong-dong Modern History Trail’ will also be installed here.

Since there is a church and an elementary school in the construction area and many citizens use the walkway regularly, Seoul City plans to minimize the construction period as much as possible. To reduce safety risks and traffic congestion caused by the construction, pedestrian safety assistants will be stationed throughout the area, and traffic guidance signs will provide advance information about the construction progress.

Yang Yong-taek, Director of Seoul City’s Regeneration Policy Planning, said, “By renovating Deoksugung-gil, we will create a landmark where all citizens can walk safely and comfortably while feeling the breath of history in Jeong-dong and enjoying modern historical and cultural resources. We ask for the active cooperation of citizens, such as using detour routes, as traffic congestion and pedestrian inconvenience around the construction site are expected during the construction period.”

'Jeongdong Modern History Road' 5 Courses

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