Creation of 'Hongdae Red Road'... Will Hongdae Commercial Area Ignite?

Mapo-gu Connects Gyeongui Line Forest Trail~Hongdae~Danginri Power Plant… Divides into 7 Zones for Section-Specific Specialized Projects

Five Alley Colors Distinguish ‘Food Street, Dance Street, Fashion Street, Beauty Street, Coffee Street’

On the 13th and 14th, 'Red Road Festival' to Mark the Full Launch of the Red Road

On the first day of the festival, the 13th, from 2 PM at Red Road Plaza: Foreigners' Singing Contest, Proclamation Ceremony, and Celebration Performances

Street Performances, Exhibitions, Experience Programs, Handicraft Market, Character ‘Kkaebi, Kkaesun’ Photo Zone, and More

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

Accordingly, the district will hold the ‘Red Road Festival’ over two days, on the 13th and 14th, around the Hongdae Red Road area to announce the completion of Mapo’s new tourism brand expanding globally and the full launch of the Red Road.

Tourism Specialized Street Connecting Gyeongui Line Forest Trail~Hongdae~Danginri Power Plant… Seven Zones Confirmed Highlighting Section Characteristics

The Red Road is a themed street in the Hongdae Cultural Arts Tourism Special Zone, spanning approximately 2 km from the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, the most visited area by tourists in Mapo-gu, through Hongdae to the Danginri Power Plant.

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

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

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

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is delivering a greeting at the Hongdae Red Road proclamation ceremony on the 13th.

The R7 section, connecting Danginri Intersection to Danginri Power Plant, plans to implement a ‘road diet’ to improve the pedestrian space, emphasizing the street’s 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 Special Zone. The district plans to actively utilize them in tourism marketing to promote the Red Road.

Alleys Adjacent to the Red Road Divided into Five Colors Representing Food, Dance, and More… 13 Themed Streets Created

To distinguish the commercial areas representing Hongdae’s culture, including clubs, clothing stores, restaurants, and cafes, 13 themed streets were created using colors and characters.

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 the colors.

On the 13th and 14th, ‘Red Road Festival’ Held in R1~R6 Sections… A Festival Everyone Can Enjoy

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

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

On the afternoon of the 13th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Mapo District Mayor Park Kang-su (left) tour Red Road. Next to them are Kkaebi and Kkaesuni.

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

Programs symbolizing Hongdae culture such as busking performances, street exhibitions, and cultural experiences will continue from the 13th to the 14th. By section, the schedule includes ▲(R1) Handicraft market, traditional culture experiences, antique exhibitions ▲(R2) Indie musicians and busking performances, Hongdae Tourism Special Zone 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 full launch of the Red Road, becomes a safe and lively festival that local artists, merchants, and all participants can enjoy together.”

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