Seoul City to Implement Four Major Measures on Transportation, Convenience Facilities, Culture, and Tourism Ahead of 'Blue House Opening on the 10th'

Establishment of One New Urban Circulation Bus Route... Increased Operation of Subway Lines 3 and 5, Securing Tourist Bus Parking Lots
Installation of 15 Portable Toilets, 100 Trash Bins, and 100 Benches at Key Locations Including Yeongbingwan

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 10th, to mark the opening of the Blue House, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will activate a comprehensive support plan. During the 13-day Blue House opening event, which will be held concurrently, the plan focuses on enhancing the convenience of visitors concentrated from across the country and minimizing inconvenience to residents near the Blue House.

This comprehensive support plan by Seoul includes four major areas: ▲ transportation and parking convenience measures ▲ expansion of convenience facilities ▲ cultural programs linked to the Blue House opening ▲ expansion of tourism infrastructure and content linked to the Blue House opening.

Seoul will implement multifaceted transportation measures including buses, subways, and parking in preparation for the increase in visitors. In addition to adding more buses and subways, it will secure parking lots for tourist buses to alleviate parking difficulties and encourage the use of public transportation to support convenient visits and movement for citizens. Seoul has established a new city bus route (No. 01) using eco-friendly electric buses that circulate between the Blue House and six nearby major stations, which began operation on the 2nd of this month. However, due to the ‘Car-Free Street to the Blue House’ operated by the Presidential Transition Committee until the 22nd, buses will not enter the Blue House direction during this period and will detour from Gwanghwamun toward Anguk Station.

The subway lines 3 and 5, which stop at Gyeongbokgung Station, Gwanghwamun Station, and Anguk Station near the Blue House, will add six reserve trains each, increasing daily capacity by approximately 180,000 passengers. Additionally, convenience facilities at major nearby stations will be inspected, and signage for elevators and escalators will be installed. Anticipating an increase in visitors nationwide, Seoul has secured 169 parking spaces across eight tourist bus parking lots to ease parking difficulties. These include public tourist bus parking lots at Gyeongbokgung and Namsan Yejang, as well as additional roadside parking near Changuimun-ro and Sajik-ro. After disembarking from tourist buses, visitors will be able to conveniently move around nearby areas on foot or by public transportation.

Furthermore, to ensure the safety and convenience of pedestrians walking to the Blue House, emergency repairs have been made to sunken and damaged sidewalks nearby, and crosswalk curb cuts and braille blocks have been installed. Joint city-district patrol teams are deployed along Cheongwadae-ro, Hyoja-ro, Jahamun-ro, and Samcheong-ro to crack down on illegal street vendors, items stored in front of shops, and trash, taking immediate action on violations.

Public bicycles ‘Ddareungi,’ favored for short-distance travel, will have an additional 100 units deployed near the Blue House and Gyeongbokgung area (increasing from 163 to 263 units), with five new rental stations established or expanded to facilitate movement. In particular, six temporary checkpoints occupying roads for Blue House security, such as inspection booths and police booths, will be removed to widen lanes, and traffic facilities including crosswalks, traffic lights, road markings, and signage will be reorganized to support smooth traffic flow in the surrounding area following changes in the traffic system.

Installation of 15 portable toilets, 100 trash bins, and 100 benches at key locations including the State Guest House

For visitor convenience, Seoul will install 15 portable toilets (including 2 for the disabled) at major event sites such as the Blue House Main Building and the State Guest House, and place 100 trash bins along major visitor routes. Additionally, 100 benches will be installed in key rest areas and walking paths within the Blue House grounds, such as the Green Garden.

Maintenance of the hiking trail section opened with the Blue House has also been completed. The narrow and steep connecting section between Baekakjeong and Bukaksan hiking trails (about 300 meters) has been equipped with decks and stairs, and wooden railings have been installed to prevent falls. In other sections, guardrails to prevent falls have been reinforced, comprehensive hiking trail information boards and directional signposts have been installed, and 30 staff members including hiking trail guides will be deployed to ensure a comfortable hiking experience.

Cultural events such as night tours of Bukaksan open areas and Hanyangdoseong, and operation of a 'barrier-free tourist shuttle'

Seoul will hold various cultural programs linked to the Blue House opening event, including ▲ Seoul Street Performance Live Everywhere ▲ Gugak Busking ▲ Craft Program ‘Chomchom Jikjo’ ? Crafting Facing the Blue House ▲ Special guided tours of the Bukaksan open area ▲ Special night guided tours of Hanyangdoseong ▲ Expanded Deoksugung Royal Guard patrol ceremonies.

Moreover, tourism infrastructure will be established to enable all citizens, including the disabled, elderly, and pregnant women, to conveniently visit the Blue House, and tourism content will be developed to make the Blue House area a representative tourism landmark of Seoul. During the Blue House opening event, a ‘barrier-free tourist shuttle’ will be specially operated. A total of seven vehicles, including one large bus (30 seats) equipped with a wheelchair lift and six minivans (9?10 seats), will operate on two routes (Blue House?Gwanghwamun, Blue House?City Hall). Two-person teams wearing red hats will operate ‘mobile tourist information centers’ expanded to Samcheong-dong, Seochon, and Bukchon areas to provide tourism information services in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.

Various tourism contents linked to the Blue House opening will also be developed and operated. Six night walking tour courses utilizing nearby historical, cultural, and tourism resources such as Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, and Cheonggyecheon will run until October 31. Additionally, three new courses connecting the Gwanghwamun Plaza and Yulgok-ro area, opening this summer, will be developed and operated starting in July.

Efforts will also be made to attract overseas tourists. Familiarization tours will be promoted targeting overseas travel agencies and media to publicize the Blue House as a new tourism resource. Seoul plans to strengthen familiarization tour content through cooperation with local governments and expand cooperation with regional tourism organizations and domestic and international promotion through the Seoul Tourism Foundation, the city’s dedicated tourism organization.

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