Mapo-gu '1947 Boston' Hero 'Seo Yun-bok' Honored with Commemorative Road Creation

Published 14 Oct.2024 06:45(KST)

1.1km Section from Ewha Womans University Station to Daehung Station Named Honorary Road 'Seoyunbok-gil'
Olympic Gold Medalist Hwang Young-jo and Lead Actor Lim Si-wan of '1947 Boston' Celebrate via Video

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, with athlete Seo Yun-bok and his family (right)

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) created an honorary road to commemorate the late sports hero Seo Yun-bok of South Korea and held an unveiling ceremony on October 12 at the small plaza in front of Exit 5 of Ewha Womans University Station.

Seo Yun-bok was a marathoner who won the international marathon event, the 51st Boston Marathon, after liberation, setting a world record while carrying the Taegeukgi and the national name "KOREA." He is the hero of the movie "1947 Boston," starring actor Im Si-wan.

At that time, Seo Yun-bok’s victory comforted the Korean people who had suffered under Japanese colonial rule and filled the Korean Peninsula with joy.

Accordingly, Mapo-gu officially designated a section of about 1.1 km from Ewha Womans University Station to Daehang Station (Daehang-ro 89 to Daehang-ro 196), where Seo Yun-bok’s alma mater Soongmoon High School is located, as the honorary road "Seo Yun-bok-gil" on September 5 to widely publicize his great achievements.

On "Seo Yun-bok-gil," two information boards describing Seo Yun-bok’s achievements in Korean and English and six street nameplates were installed.

At the unveiling ceremony, Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Oh Cheon-jin, President of the Soongmoon Alumni Association, Seo Yun-bok’s family, and residents attended to celebrate the birth of "Seo Yun-bok-gil."

Also, marathoner Hwang Young-jo, gold medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and actor Im Si-wan expressed their respect for Seo Yun-bok through video congratulatory messages.

In addition, Mapo-gu renamed the Ewha Green Rest Area as the Seo Yun-bok Rest Area so that numerous visitors can share the glory of the Boston Marathon.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “I am very moved and honored to establish ‘Seo Yun-bok-gil’ and ‘Seo Yun-bok Rest Area’ in Mapo-gu to honor Seo Yun-bok, who elevated our country’s status. I hope this place becomes a space to remember the eternal hero Seo Yun-bok and to hold patriotism and dreams in our hearts.”