[One Day Walk] Walking with Night Views in Downtown Seoul... Seoullo 7017

Today's walking course takes us to Seoul-ro 7017. Seoul-ro 7017 is a park created from the old elevated highway near Seoul Station. The name combines the number '70,' representing the year it was built (1970), and '17,' which reflects the completion year (2017), the 17 pedestrian paths, and the elevated highway's height of 17 meters.

The elevated highway near Seoul Station, built in the 1970s, had become deteriorated and received a D grade in a safety inspection in 2006, putting it at risk of demolition. At that time, the Seoul city government discussed future plans including demolition but ultimately decided to preserve the road and transform it into a pedestrian-only park. After construction, Seoul-ro 7017 officially opened in 2017.

Seoul-ro 7017 connects areas near Seoul Station such as Malli-dong, Jungnim-dong, and Namchang-dong. Located in the heart of Seoul near Seoul Station and designed to be pedestrian-friendly, it is an ideal spot to enjoy Seoul’s nightscape.

The walking course starts at Exit 15 of Seoul Station and heads straight to Seoul-ro 7017. Composed of 17 pedestrian paths, Seoul-ro 7017 serves both as an elevated walkway and an urban observatory offering great views of downtown Seoul. At night, visitors can enjoy the city’s nightscape. The area is also greened throughout, making it a refreshing oasis in the urban environment.

Next, the course leads to Namdaemun Church along Seoul-ro 7017. Namdaemun Church originated from Jejungwon Church, which was affiliated with Jejungwon, Korea’s first modern hospital. American missionary and doctor Allen operated Jejungwon and established Jejungwon Church within the hospital. As the number of visitors increased, Jejungwon was renamed Severance Hospital after receiving support from American businessman Severance. In 1904, Jejungwon Church moved outside the South Gate along with the hospital and was established as Namdaemun Church. The church building, constructed in Gothic-style stone architecture, was recognized for its preservation value and was listed as a Seoul Future Heritage site in 2013.

Continuing on, Hanyangdoseong is also perfect for enjoying the night view. Hanyangdoseong is a Joseon Dynasty fortress wall surrounding Seoul. It was first built during the reign of King Taejo using a simple stone stacking method without special technology. Later, as techniques advanced, stones were carved and stacked, showing the changing appearance of the fortress over time. Especially at night, it is famous as a night view spot, and the Seoul city government hosts the Hanyangdoseong Moonlight Tour annually.

Following Hanyangdoseong, the course heads to Namsan Overpass and finishes at Sungnyemun.

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