Mapo-gu 'Red Road' Grand Opening on the 13th!

Connecting Gyeongui Line Forest Trail~Hongdae~Danginri Power Plant… Divided into 7 Zones with Specialized Projects for Each Section

Alleys categorized into 5 colors representing ‘Food Street, Dance Street, Fashion Street, Beauty Street, Coffee Street’

On the 13th and 14th, the 'Red Road Festival' will be held to mark the official start of the Red Road

On the first day of the festival, from 2 PM at Red Road Plaza, there will be a foreigner singing contest, proclamation ceremony, and celebratory performances

Over two days, street performances, exhibitions, experience programs, handmade craft markets, character ‘Kkaebi, Kkaesun’ photo zones, and more

Mapo-gu is unveiling the ‘Red Road (RED ROAD)’, created to prevent safety accidents caused by crowd congestion while enhancing the brand value as a tourist city.

Accordingly, the district will hold the ‘Red Road Festival’ on the 13th and 14th at the Hongdae Red Road area to announce the completion of Mapo’s new tourism brand that will expand globally and to mark the official start of the Red Road.

■ A tourism-specialized street connecting Gyeongui Line Forest Trail~Hongdae~Danginri Power Plant… 7 zones confirmed highlighting characteristics of each section

The Red Road is a themed street of about 2 km in the Hongdae cultural arts tourism district, connecting the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, the most visited area by tourists in Mapo-gu, to Hongdae and Danginri Power Plant.

The district unified the curved 2 km street, which had various names such as Walkable Street, Eoulmadang-ro, Festival Street, Hongtong Street, and Danginri Intersection, under the name Red Road. To continue specialized projects reflecting the existing characteristics of each section, it was divided into 7 zones from R1 to R7.

The R1 to R2 sections, widely used as busking spots, are designated as spaces to expand the diversity and opportunities for cultural performances. Accordingly, plans are underway to create busking spaces that can be used as plaza stages while improving pedestrian convenience by the second half of this year. Public restrooms and smoking booths will also be installed to enhance convenience for visitors to Hongdae.

The R5 to R6 sections will become a cultural and artistic landmark street. The district has already fully renovated facilities that obstruct pedestrian flow, such as the existing public parking lot west of Hongdae, for the convenience of tourists. Currently, detailed design work is underway to find ways to utilize the area as a plaza suitable for cultural exhibitions.

Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, inspecting the road paving and character painting on Hongdae Red Road

The R7 section, connecting Danginri Intersection to Danginri Power Plant, plans to implement a ‘road diet’ to improve the street into a pedestrian-friendly space that highlights its connection to the Han River.

At the starting point of the Red Road, a ‘Red Road Power Plant’ will be established. Scheduled to open around October, this space will oversee street operations and program planning, as well as handle product development and sales using the Red Road characters.

Notably, the Red Road characters ‘Kkaebi’ and ‘Kkaesun’ were created through a resident contest. These goblin characters embody the youthful energy and the vibrant nighttime atmosphere of the Hongdae cultural arts tourism district. The district plans to actively use them in tourism marketing to promote the Red Road.

■ Alleys adjacent to the Red Road are divided into 5 colors representing food, dance, etc.… 13 themed streets created

To distinguish the commercial areas of clubs, clothing stores, restaurants, and cafes representing the Hongdae cultural arts tourism district by color and character, 13 themed streets have been created.

The alleys adjacent to the Red Road (R1~R6) are divided into Food Street (orange), Dance Street (red), Beauty Street (green), Fashion Street (purple), and Coffee Street (brown), with representative colors being applied to the pavement. This allows foreigners visiting the Red Road to easily find their desired destinations just by color.

■ On the 13th and 14th, the ‘Red Road Festival’ at sections R1~R6… a festival everyone can enjoy

The festival opens at 2 PM on the 13th with a foreigner singing contest at Red Road Plaza (R6 section).

Following this, a proclamation ceremony commemorating the creation of the Red Road and celebratory performances will continue until 9 PM. Performers include singer Lee Chan-won, Kloen, comedian Ji Sang-ryeol, with hosts Lee Jae-yong and announcer Jo Soo-bin.

Red Road Festival poster featuring 'Kkaebi' and 'Kkaesuni'

Photo zones featuring ‘Kkaebi’ and ‘Kkaesun’ and various events will be held throughout the festival venue.

Programs symbolizing Hongdae culture such as busking performances, street exhibitions, and cultural experiences will continue from the 13th to the 14th. Each section will feature: ▲(R1) Handmade craft market, traditional culture experience, antique exhibition ▲(R2) Indie musicians and busking performances, Hongdae tourism district promotional exhibitions and experience booths ▲(R4) Live commerce with local merchants ▲(R5) Street art exhibition with emerging artists ▲(R6) Festival stage, among others.

Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “The Red Road is a unique street in Mapo where culture, tourism, safety, and nature harmonize, becoming a new landmark in Seoul and an attractive tourist destination for foreigners. We will do our best to ensure that the Red Road Festival, marking the official start of the Red Road, is a safe and lively festival that local artists, merchants, and all participants can enjoy together.”

Guro-gu to hold ‘Summer Captured Spring’ Forest Music Concert on the Go

A cultural arts event in nature for everyone to enjoy on the 13th… around Cheonwangsan Family Camping Site

Many activities including mat concerts, traditional games, photo zones, markets, and campaigns

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) will hold the traveling forest music concert ‘Summer Captured Spring’ on the 13th around the Cheonwangsan Family Camping Site.

Guro-gu announced on the 10th, “We have prepared a cultural arts event that all age groups can enjoy together in harmony with nature.”

The event is composed of three main themes: ▲Books to see, books to play with, books to make ▲Forest music concert ‘Summer Captured Spring’ ▲Market in the forest ‘Sharing Hearts Spring’.

The ‘Books to see, books to play with, books to make’ program, which requires prior reservation, will be held at the Cheonwangsan Rest Shelter from 10:30 AM to 12 PM, where 13 families will create their own pop-up books using discarded picture books.

The main event, the forest music concert ‘Summer Captured Spring’, is a mat concert held at the Cheonwangsan Family Camping Site from 1 PM to 4 PM.

‘Sound Circus’, invited to the UN Environment Programme 7IMDC (International Marine Debris Conference), will perform with instruments made from various waste materials. Additionally, there will be yodeling, balloon shows, opera performances, and performances by local youth.

The market in the forest ‘Sharing Hearts Spring’, adding vibrancy to the event, will operate in front of the Cheonwangsan Rest Shelter from 12 PM to 4 PM. Various local organizations will sell clothing, succulents, crafts, zero-waste products, and fair trade goods.

For a richer experience, traditional games for families and photo zones for making memories will be available. Good Neighbors will conduct a child protection campaign amid the climate crisis, and in cooperation with the Cheonwang-dong Youth Culture House, there will be an experience making environmental badges.

A Guro-gu official said, “In celebration of Family Month in May, we have prepared a cultural arts event for a happy weekend. We will continue to strive to frequently organize local events that harmonize with nature for comfortable leisure in the city.”

Gangseo-gu to hold the 7th Gyeomjae Cultural Arts Festival

A cultural festival inheriting the artistic spirit of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon and bringing together residents and local artists

May 12~13, at Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum, Magok Eoullim Park, and Gungsan Neighborhood Park area

Various events including sketch contests, youth cultural arts festival, special exhibitions, and themed experiences

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) announced it will hold the ‘7th Gyeomjae Cultural Arts Festival’, a cultural festival bringing together residents and local artists, on May 12 and 13.

The Gyeomjae Cultural Arts Festival is a representative participatory cultural arts festival of the district to honor the artistic spirit of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, a symbol of Korean culture and art and a master of true-view landscape painting, and to inherit the true-view culture.

This year’s event will be held under the slogan ‘Gyeomjae True-view Landscape, Coloring Gangseo’ at Gungsan Neighborhood Park, a major site of Gyeomjae’s artistic activities, Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum, and Magok Eoullim Park area.

The opening ceremony starts at 1:30 PM on the 12th, coinciding with the special exhibition ‘Beyond Boundaries’ commemorating the 14th anniversary of the Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum’s opening.

The special exhibition ‘Beyond Boundaries’ is an international exchange exhibition featuring artists active in Korea, the United States, France, and other countries, aiming to understand each other’s culture and art and seek new visions through the exhibition. Ten domestic and international artists participate in the special exhibition.

On the 13th, various events such as the 18th Gyeomjae National Sketch Contest, Youth Cultural Arts Festival, and Cultural Arts Gala will be held.

Children who participated in the Gyeomjae National Sketching Contest last year

Marking its 18th year, the Gyeomjae National Sketch Contest invites children and youth from across the country to depict the scenery of Gungsan, where Gyeomjae once walked, using various techniques such as Korean painting, Western painting, and watercolor, showcasing their skills.

Participation is free, and applications can be made by visiting, calling, or emailing the Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum by the 11th, or by on-site registration on the day of the contest.

More details about the contest schedule and prizes can be found on the Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum website.

From 3 PM, the Youth Cultural Arts Festival, where young people showcase their talents and skills, and the Cultural Arts Gala will be held simultaneously.

The Youth Cultural Arts Festival features 9 teams who advanced through preliminary rounds from 127 competing teams, performing various talents such as singing and dancing. During the competition, special stages will be presented by singer The One, former winner of ‘I Am a Singer’, the Seoul Hoseo Arts School dance team, and the Gangseo-gu Boys and Girls Choir.

Various exhibitions and events will be prepared on-site to provide enjoyment for residents visiting the venue.

At Magok Eoullim Park, local writers will hold the ‘Gyeomjae Poetry and Painting Exhibition’ expressing Gyeomjae’s works in poetry, and the ‘2022 Gyeomjae National Sketch Contest Awarded Works Exhibition’. At the entrance of Gungsan, the ‘Wishes in Umbrellas Exhibition’, where local children and youth express their wishes in words and drawings inside umbrellas, will be held.

Additionally, various family-friendly events such as making animal mirrors from Donguibogam, horticultural art with evergreen shrubs, and face painting will be held throughout the venue.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “The Gyeomjae Cultural Arts Festival is a special cultural event unique to Gangseo-gu, where artists and residents who love Gyeomjae’s works come together. I hope families will spend a special time together at the festival, where diverse cultures and arts coexist.”

For more information, contact the Gangseo-gu Culture and Sports Division or the Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum.

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