'Seodaemun's Transformation'... A Whole New Neighborhood Thanks to Public-Private Partnerships

Closed campuses have become community gardens, and where a badminton court once stood, a Hwangtotgil (red clay path) now welcomes visitors. Starting next year, the baseball field at Yonsei University’s Sinchon campus will be open on weekends to local baseball club members.

Former community center buildings have been transformed into free meal facilities for seniors, and church-donated spaces have been repurposed as children’s play areas. In Seodaemun District, local private organizations have been filling gaps in space, funding, and manpower that were difficult for the administration to address alone, resulting in a newly revitalized landscape across the district.

Seongheon Lee, Mayor of Seodaemun District (left), and Dongseop Yoon, President of Yonsei University, shake hands after signing the "Agreement on Opening School Sports Facilities to Promote Community Sports." Provided by Seodaemun District Office.

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According to Seodaemun District on April 30, the district recently renovated a 1,000-square-meter aging community rest area near the main gate parking lot of Methodist Theological University (56 Dongnimmun-ro), turning it into a garden in the heart of the city. First created in 2010 as part of the “University Wall Opening and Greening Project,” the rest area had become worn and damaged over time, making repairs urgently needed.

The district invested 150 million won in a two-month large-scale environmental improvement project. They planted 62 trees, including double-flowered cherry trees, 1,873 shrubs such as spindle trees, 247 hydrangeas, and 7 Rosa rugosa. The old pergola, a pavilion-like resting facility, was replaced with a sophisticated new design.

New outdoor fitness equipment was installed, and the pavement and curbstones were refurbished to improve pedestrian safety. With the university opening up part of its campus to the public and administrative support added, the campus has been transformed into a much more open space.

On April 27, Seodaemun District also signed a “Financial business agreement on opening school sports facilities to revitalize recreational sports” with Dongseob Yoon, President of Yonsei University. Under this agreement, the Yonsei University Sinchon campus baseball field will be open every weekend from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for the next five years to members of local baseball clubs affiliated with the Seodaemun District Baseball Association.

The Ansan Hwangtotgil, located along the slopes of Ansan in Yeonhui-dong, was also established thanks to community cooperation. Opened in August 2023, this 450-meter-long, 2-meter-wide red clay path has recorded more than 1.18 million cumulative visitors as of this month, becoming known as a “mecca for barefoot walking.”

Early in 2024, the district added a 100-meter extension and newly installed facilities such as a loess ball field, loess foot bath, and foot washing area. This decision meant one of the two existing badminton courts was removed. Despite the reduction in exercise space, members of the Sharon Badminton Club willingly agreed for the benefit of greater community use.

The National Barefoot Walking Movement Headquarters provided advice throughout the entire process, informing residents about the benefits of the loess path and walking techniques. Active promotion by local residents at the time also contributed to making the site a popular attraction.

The recently renovated "Fence-Opened Community Rest Area" within Methodist Theological University. Provided by Seodaemun District Office.

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Cooperation with local churches has also played a prominent role. Last month, the district signed a business agreement with Chungsin Church (Senior Pastor Namwoo Kang) in Bukgajwa 2-dong to promote the operation of the “Happy Table No. 2” free meal facility. Located on the site of the former Bukgajwa 2-dong Community Center (10 Eungam-ro 1-gil), Happy Table No. 2 covers 678.5 square meters and features a meal service area with up to 220 seats, as well as multipurpose community facilities.

Chungsin Church sponsors special meals for about 500 people four times a year-during Chobok, Jungbok, Easter, and Christmas-dispatches volunteers year-round, and provides focused volunteer services in winter. The church’s lounge and part of its parking lot will also be shared. The district will provide idle spaces, ensure transparent use of sponsorship funds, and collaborate with local welfare partners to support this cooperation.

Another church has provided space for children. Recently, the district opened the “Seoul-style Kids Caf? Seodaemun-gu Hongje 1-dong Branch” in a space offered by Honggwang Church. This 266-square-meter public indoor children’s play facility is designed with the theme of “a natural hill in the city where mountains and water come together.” It features five different zones: Imagination Hill, Wobbly Adventure Falls, Dangling Climbing Wall, Imagination Workshop, and Imagination Hideout. Including the Hongje 1-dong branch, there are now five Seoul-style Kids Caf?s operated by Seodaemun District.

Seongheon Lee, Mayor of Seodaemun District, said, “Through cooperation with reliable local organizations, we have been able to significantly improve resident welfare,” adding, “We will continue to expand various models based on public-private partnerships in the future.”

In December 2023, at the opening event of the Ansan Hwangtotgil greenhouses, Lee Seongheon, Seodaemun District Mayor (second from the right), and attendees posed barefoot. Provided by Seodaemun District Office.

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