Seoul's 'Namsan Yejang Park' Opens... 'Namsan Renaissance' Completed After 12 Years

Restoration of Namsan Ecology and History, Improvement of Landscape and Accessibility... Demolition of Namsan Annex to Restore Scenery, Creation of Green Park
'Lee Hoe-yeong Memorial Hall' Opens... 42 Items Donated by Descendants on Permanent Display

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Namsan Yejang area has been restored as a resting place for citizens and a nearby tourism hub, reopening on the 9th under the name 'Namsan Yejang Park.' This marks the completion of the Namsan Renaissance project, which began in 2009, after 12 years.

On the 9th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it demolished the old 'Central Intelligence Agency 6th Bureau' (Seoul City Hall Namsan Annex) building and the TBS Traffic Broadcasting building, which had been blocking the natural scenery of Namsan, and created a green park covering 13,036㎡?twice the size of Seoul Plaza. They also opened the 'Lee Hoe-young Memorial Hall' commemorating six brothers including independence activist Lee Hoe-young, inaugurating 'Namsan Yejang Park.'

The Namsan Yejang area was historically a military martial arts training ground (Yejang), with Nokcheonjeong and Jujaso during the Joseon Dynasty, accumulating layers of history spanning multiple eras. During the Japanese colonial period, it was damaged as the Residency-General and the Governor-General's residence, a foothold for Japan's invasion of Joseon, were established, and a Japanese residential area was developed. After 1961, the Central Intelligence Agency building was constructed, making it an isolated place difficult for citizens to access.

The 'Namsan Renaissance project' is a plan to restore Namsan's ecological environment and traditional historical cultural heritage, improving its landscape and accessibility. Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the 'Namsan Renaissance Master Plan' in 2009 during his term, stating his intention to "recreate Namsan as a familiar leisure space for citizens and a representative tourism product of Seoul."

On this day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held the opening ceremony of Namsan Yejang Park and the Lee Hoe-young Memorial Hall with Mayor Oh Se-hoon in attendance. After donating artifacts to the 'Lee Hoe-young Memorial Hall,' Mayor Oh presented a 'donation certificate' to Lee Jong-geol, the representative standing chairman of the National Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, representing the descendants. He also received weapons (guns) of the Czech Legion to be exhibited in the opening commemorative exhibition from Gustav Slamecka, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea. These are the same types of weapons used in the Battle of Bongodong and Cheongsanri, which Seoul has borrowed free of charge from the Czech Legion community for display.

Attendees at the event included National Assembly members Park Sung-jun and Yoon Ju-kyung, Hwang Ki-chul, Commissioner of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Gustav Slamecka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea, Seo Yang-ho, Mayor of Jung-gu, eight city council members including Kim Hee-geol, Chairman of the Urban Planning Management Committee, Lee Jong-chan, Chairman of the National Provisional Government Memorial Hall Construction Committee and descendant of Lee Hoe-young, and Lee Jong-geol, representative standing chairman of the National Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation.

Meanwhile, Seoul is holding a special opening exhibition titled 'Czech Weapons Special Exhibition' commemorating the immortal victory of the independence army coalition forces in the Battles of Bongodong and Cheongsanri. After years of preparation, Seoul plans to exhibit 28 items including rifles, maps, and military uniforms used at the time, which have been loaned free of charge from the Czech Legion community.

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