Yongsan Park to Open for a 10-Day Trial from the 10th of This Month... Total Admission of 25,000 Visitors

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] The partially opened site of Yongsan Park in Seoul, scheduled for temporary opening this September, will be pilot-opened for 10 days starting from the 10th.

On the 2nd, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "It is highly meaningful to share with the public the process of transforming the long-closed Yongsan Base into an open space following the relocation of the Presidential Office," and added, "We will pilot open part of the Yongsan US military base being developed into Yongsan Park to the public." The ministry plans to collect citizens' opinions through this pilot opening and reflect them in the temporary opening scheduled for September.

The pilot opening will take place for a total of 10 days from the 10th to the 19th of this month. The opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with five sessions at two-hour intervals. Each session will accept reservations for 500 people on a first-come, first-served basis, allowing up to 2,500 visitors per day and a total of 25,000 visitors. Reservations for viewing will start at 2 p.m. on the 5th.

The areas to be pilot-opened include the General’s Residence near Sinyongsan Station, the south side of the Presidential Office, and the sports field. Some visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the Presidential Office on a first-come, first-served basis. Listening mailboxes will be placed throughout the venue to collect opinions on the development of Yongsan Park.

The pilot opening site is a large-scale area stretching approximately 1.1 km in a straight line from Sinyongsan, passing the General’s Residence and the south side of the Presidential Office, to the sports field (north side of the National Museum of Korea). At key points, cultural and artistic events, performances, and guidance will be provided under themes such as ▲Opening by the People ▲Walking with the People ▲Meeting the People ▲Created by the People.

Near Exit 1 of Sinyongsan Station, the starting point of the event, a welcoming ceremony by the military band and honor guard will be held on the first day along with the opening of the entrance to greet the public’s first steps. The General’s Residence, with its exotic scenery, will have benches placed throughout so visitors can rest in the shade of trees. The south side of the Presidential Office will be developed into a so-called "cafe street" with food and beverage corners.

In particular, this area offers a "Presidential Office Front Yard Visit Program," allowing visitors to see the Presidential Office up close. Up to 40 people per session, on a first-come, first-served basis every 15 minutes, can enter to view presidential security equipment such as helicopters and special vehicles. Photography may be restricted. The sports field area will include convenience facilities such as food trucks, portable chairs, and restrooms. A 20-meter large shade tent, introduced for the first time in Korea, will also be installed. For the convenience of mobility-impaired visitors, six electric vehicles and five on-site information booths will be provided.

On the 9th of last month, South Korea and the United States finalized the contract for the return of the Yongsan US military base site. Accordingly, 500,000 square meters, which is one-quarter of the total Yongsan base area (2.03 million square meters), are planned to be returned within the first half of this year.

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