'Gwanghwamun Square' Officially Opens in April Next Year... Seoul City Prepares 'Supplementary and Development Plans'

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Shifts Focus to Business Continuity, Enhances Historicity, Storytelling, and Surrounding Connections
Woldae and Haechi Statues Targeted for Restoration in 2023, Site Exhibition from Saheonbu
7km 'National Symbol Street' from Gwanghwamun to Yongsan to Hangang Fully Launched... Design Plan Changes by July

New Gwanghwamun Square Perspective Plan (Draft)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 23rd that it has presented a revised plan to supplement the previously controversial Gwanghwamun Square restructuring project and plans to fully open the square in April next year. This comes two months after Mayor Oh Se-hoon chose to continue the project by stating in April, instead of canceling the Gwanghwamun Square project, "We will proceed with the construction of Gwanghwamun Square while supplementing and developing the current plan to enhance its historicity and completeness."

According to Seoul City, the new 'Gwanghwamun Square Supplement and Development Plan' is based on the fundamental concept of a park-like square that embraces citizens' activities and daily life. It incorporates the three major supplementary directions proposed by Mayor Oh: strengthening historicity, enhancing historical and cultural storytelling, and revitalizing connections with the surrounding area. The Gwanghwamun Square construction project, which began in November 2020, currently shows a progress rate of 38% (99% for the road section, 15% for the square section). Road construction is in its final stages, while the square section is undergoing burial work for excavated cultural assets and foundational work for paving stones.

In accordance with this supplement and development plan, Seoul City will complete the restoration of the core elements for recovering the square's historicity, such as the Woldae (a raised platform) and the Haechi statue, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Administration by 2023. The site of the recently uncovered Saheonbu (Office of the Inspector General) will be preserved in its original form, including the gate site (munji), well, and drainage facilities, and exhibited on-site.

The 'Sejong Story' and 'Chungmugong Story' will be fully remodeled, and new storytelling content linked to beloved existing facilities such as the statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin will be introduced. Designs incorporating 'Hangul' will be applied throughout the square, and safety fixtures (bollards) around the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue will be installed in the shape of 12 warships and a victory monument symbolizing triumph.

Changes linked to buildings around the square will also begin. The KT building will undergo remodeling in the second half of the year, opening its first floor as a public lounge connected to the square. The basement level 1 will house convenience facilities such as restaurants and cafes, and the 'Sejong Story' will also be connected underground. The Uijeongbu site, designated as a national cultural heritage in September last year, will be reborn as a cultural facility where visitors can experience traces of history in 2023. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will improve its lower floors to strengthen connectivity with the square.

Additionally, Seoul City will start a service within this year to create a 7km 'National Symbolic Street' connecting Gwanghwamun, Seoul Station, Yongsan, and the Han River in conjunction with the new Gwanghwamun Square. The goal is to develop this area into Seoul's representative space where walking, history, culture, and smart spaces harmonize, expanding the vitality that begins at Gwanghwamun Square all the way to the Han River.

Seoul City plans to finalize the design changes by the end of July and officially open the square in April next year. Furthermore, to ensure solid operation and sustainability after the completion of Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul will establish a 'Gwanghwamun Square Operation and Management Plan' by November. Plans to activate citizen participation and programs to broaden public consensus on the square's creation are also underway.

Ryu Hoon, Seoul City's Deputy Mayor for Administration 2, said, "By April next year, Gwanghwamun Square will be reborn as a representative urban healing space that provides rest and vitality to citizens exhausted by more than two years of COVID-19." He added, "Through revitalizing connections with the surrounding area, we will deepen the spatial dimension of the square and diversify its content to create a representative space of Korea that citizens love and take pride in. We will also do our best in precise construction and progress management."

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