The 'Forbidden Land' in the Heart of Seoul Returns to the People... The History of the Yongsan Site

13th Century 'Japanese Invasion' Mongol Troops Stationed
19th Century 'Imo Rebellion' Qing Troops
Japanese Troops Stationed Followed by US Military Base
Yoon "Presidential Office + Citizen Park to Be Transformed Quickly"

A bird's-eye view image revealed during a press conference held by President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on the 20th at the Presidential Transition Committee located in the annex of the Korea Financial Training Institute in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, regarding the relocation of the Blue House presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

The presidential office is relocating from the Blue House to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building. The site, which used to be a U.S. military base, is prime real estate in the heart of Seoul, but it had been a forbidden land with restricted access for over 100 years for citizens. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol promised to place the office in Yongsan and create a park around it to increase public engagement.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Archives on the 20th, Yongsan was a major junction connecting Hanyang, the capital of Joseon, with the rest of the country. It was a gathering place for people and a logistics hub, as well as a strategic point during wartime. During the Goryeo period, Mongol troops briefly stayed there. The Mongol army (Yuan dynasty) established a logistics base in Yongsan for their invasion of Japan.

Gyeonggangbu Imjin Map (Early 19th Century)

During the Joseon Dynasty, it functioned as a living space. Old maps recorded in the Joseon era (Gyeonggambu Imjin Map) show the name Yongsan at the end of the mountain ridge extending from Inwangsan's Muakjae. People of the Joseon period made Yongsan their home, surrounded by natural landscapes such as the Han River, Namsan, and Mancho Stream.

Approaching the 20th century, Yongsan transformed into a foreign military base. The Imo Incident of 1882 was a turning point. The Joseon government favored the newly established Special Army in 1881 while neglecting the old army. The disgruntled soldiers revolted. China dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion and stationed forces under Namsan in Seoul.

After winning the First Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army occupied the Chinese garrison. Japan signed the Japan-Korea Protocol (1904), which included provisions to establish military units on Korean soil for the war against Russia. After also winning the Russo-Japanese War, Japan signed the Eulsa Treaty and began establishing permanent military camps nationwide, including Yongsan.

Even after liberation, the Yongsan base remained foreign territory on the Korean Peninsula. On September 9, 1945, the Japanese Governor-General formally surrendered to the U.S. 24th Corps. The departure of the 17th Area Army marked the end of the Japanese military presence in Yongsan. The U.S. military took over the base, naming it 'Camp Seobinggo.' The stationed troops simply changed from Japanese to American forces.

7th Infantry Division Artillery (currently Yongsan Garrison Camp Coiner) area

As the Cold War intensified, the military base's character deepened. In 1957, the United Nations Command (UNC), previously stationed in Tokyo, Japan, moved to Yongsan and established the United States Forces Korea (USFK). In 1978, the establishment of the Combined Forces Command (CFC) transformed Yongsan into a symbolic site of the Korea-U.S. military alliance.

In 2003, under an agreement between the two countries' leaders, the U.S. military agreed to relocate from Yongsan to Pyeongtaek. Subsequently, Yongsan is planned to be restored as a national park after land purification efforts.

However, the conversion of Yongsan base into a park has not progressed swiftly. The government first established the comprehensive basic plan for Yongsan Park in 2011 to transform the U.S. military base into a park. The park plan has been frequently revised, and the opening date postponed. Issues such as delays in military unit relocation and responsibilities and costs related to environmental pollution remain unresolved.

Amid these circumstances, there is growing hope that the presidential office relocation could accelerate the opening of Yongsan Park. On the morning of the same day, President-elect Yoon held a press conference at the Presidential Transition Committee office, announcing the move of the presidential office from the Blue House to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building and that he would start working at the new Yongsan office from May 10.

The core purpose of President-elect Yoon's office relocation is to dismantle the imperial presidency symbolized by the Blue House and strengthen communication with the public. He intends to place the office in the middle of the park and communicate frequently with citizens. Yoon said, "I will promptly create a national park space of several hundred thousand pyeong around the Yongsan presidential office to further enhance communication with the people during my term."

The representative of real estate office A in Hangangro-dong, Yongsan-gu, said, "The term 'Yongsan Park' has been mentioned in the media for over 10 years, but less than one-tenth of the area has been opened as a park," adding, "For Yongsan residents, Yongsan Park has been almost like false hope." He also said, "There is some anxiety that development restrictions might be imposed due to security concerns, but since the president-elect has personally pledged to swiftly create the park, expectations are high."

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