More Gwanghwamun Square previews

Seoul revealed new visuals of Gwanghwamun Square 3.0, which shall be inaugurated in July.

They prolong the last major iteration presented in 2019 ("Gwanghwamun Square 3.0 re-Deep-Surfaces"), which corrected one of the worst urbanistic blunders  of the initial version ("Gwanghwamun Square Enters Third Dimension"). PARK Won-soon's team rushed the construction a few months before the elections without conducting any decent impact survey, and work started late 2020. As soon as OH Se-hoon returned as mayor, he paused the site to assess the situation, but the changes could only be cosmetic.

The Woldae extension in front of the palace gate will only be created next year, so we have yet to see how vehicles flow around Yulgok-ro's future curve. Adjusting to the modifications already in place is not always easy. As expected, the intersection in front of Sajik-dan helps reconnect both sides of Sajik-dong, but the impossible new U-turn just North of the Government building stops functioning as soon as traffic slows down (too close before a major traffic light, unlike the old one heading for Sajik tunnel).

Most important, Seoul's defining axis is preserved, with its iconic Gwanghwamun-Gyeongbokgung-Bugaksan perspective, and pedestrians will enjoy a 20 m-wide park with a vast selection of tree species, guaranteeing natural shade and oxygen as they grow. That's where most of the extension (from 18 to 40,000 square meters) comes from. People will be able to sit on benches and along the Haechi Madang ramp, where street animations may bloom next to the new media wall.

Sejong-daero's pedestrian and cycling experience has already been improved with the new green walks and bike lanes added on the way to Namdaemun (see "Lower Sejongdaero's turn"). With its fountain tunnel and pavement fountain, the 'Gwanghwamun' Lounge section is likely to welcome kids and keep them fresh during the Summer. If some artifacts found during the renovation shall be on display in the cultural section, most of the Joseon era infrastructures (see timeline*) shall be covered again. I hope the tribute to Yukjo street will not look to corny. 

 

On the Eastern side, Junghak-dong will not host a simple reconstitution of the old Uijeongbu site, but a fusion hanok exhibition space. I wish there were more trees in that section, but that can (and probably will, if they want the spot to be successful) be fixed later.

This Uijeongbu project was on display at the Seoul Hall Of Urbanism (see again timeline below*) during the low key, pandemic-plagued 3rd edition of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. SBAU will return in September 2023, with CHO Byung-soo (BCHO Architects) as its Director. This architects knows a bit about dao, and Seoul could do with some more harmony...

Ganghwamun Square reopening in the heat of the Summer will be a perfect crash test. I'm pretty sure Seoulites will quickly make it their own. At least during the evenings. And as much as that damned coronavirus will allow.

Seoul Village 2022
Welcome to our Korean Errlines! Follow Seoul Village on Facebook and Twitter, follow me on Instagram.
Download 'Seoul VillageS', the free ebook.

 

* From @theSeoulVillage timeline: 

"Gwanghwamun Square last week. Seoul started controversial revamping without a proper impact survey..." (20201220 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1336888158437265408)

"The few changes since the initial plan won't prevent the expected traffic pandemonium. Tragic lack of urban planning, urbanism vision from Seoul... Sejong-daero Gwanghwamun" (20210221 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1364019424752115720)

"Western side of Sejong-daero / Gwanghwamun Square to close tomorrow for the controversial revamping (future Jeokseon-dong loop in the foreground)" (20210305 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1367760419218018306)

"As expected, works on the Western side of Gwanghwamun Square for its extension reveal Joseon time artifacts and structures related to former ministries. Here, a waterway in Jeokseon-dong (between Baekundongcheon & Junghakcheon - see http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2009/08/baekundongcheon-gwanghwamun-gil-river.html #urbanism)." (20210319 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1372721209939431427)

"I guess mainly to evacuate overflows towards Baekundongcheon, to contain water damage in case of heavy rains. Gwanghwamun Square urbanism Jeokseon-dong Photo Chosun Ilbo" (20210319 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1372721211789037583)

"OH Se-hoon hits pause button on controversial Gwanghwamun Square revamping. Also asks AHN Cheol-soo to suggest talents for Seoul." (20210410 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1380664510638264322)

 

"Seoul's unearthed Yukjogeori during Gwanghwamun Square revamping:" (20210511 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1391895161337090049)

"Gwanghwamun's future Uijeongbu site at Seoul HOUR (Seoul Biennale / SBAU):" (20211028 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1453500318226935809)

Chataigne - A Table Bis (Seoul)

20 years ago, driving across Samcheong-dong by night meant following a dark road dotted with only a few lights - a quiet neighborhood with just a couple of shops and restaurants (rather close to the Gyeongbokgung), and maybe a mom and pop store before the last stretch to the tunnel. I won't say Samcheongdong-gil has turned into Las Veghanok's Strip but the change is radical: neons, shops and fancy eateries...

... And now this. Haechi, Seoul City's mascot, painted on US-style fire hydrants. I know Japanese tourists love the area but is this Gahoe-dong or Kawaii-dong?

That's it for my hypocrite Rant of the Day.

Because as you may know, even if I often criticize the extinction of friendly neighborhood Korean restaurants, I happen to enjoy some ov'em "fancy eateries".

Take Palpan-dong, for instance. That's a neighborhood just off main street, before the Prime Minister's residence when you come from downtown. Palpan-gil recently followed the boboization of Samcheong-dong, and is now lined with small fashion boutiques and cafes, preferably with a Frenchoid name. It all started with a tiny restaurant called 'A Table'. The owners opened 'A Table Bis' just around the corner, a bistrot which makes us Frogs feel just like home, in some nice little provincial restaurant (pommes de terre Sarladaise would be even better with the confit de canard, but that's probably because I've got too strong ties with Perigord Noir...).

This small alley has been hosting a second French restaurant for quite a while: facing the two-storey 'A Table Bis', 'Chataigne' proposes a more upscale menu (table d'hote) in a cute re-hanokized house seating no more than 12 people*. A well serviced place, but no pretensions, and a very kind Chef, who masters fine emulsions and sauces (delicious yam and snails). Merging dishes #3 and 4 (before today's main dishes: rainbow trout or ribeye) could make an even stronger statement, but that's not the positioning. What you enjoy is a soothing moment at a reasonable price.

Chataigne / 샤테뉴 (restaurant)
130-3 Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.736.5385

A Table Bis (restaurant)
100-2 Palpan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.736.1049

Seoul Village 2012 - more tables here
NEW : follow Seoul Village on Facebook and Twitter

* an army on Bien Etre's scale (see "Bien Etre (Seoul)")

Berlin Wall, Seoul Section(s)

If you've passed by the Eastern / Wangsimni section of Cheonggyecheon, you've probably seen the ruins of three concrete pilars, a reminder of the ugly overpass that used to cover the stream before its restoration. But did you know that further Westwards, the remains of three sections of the Berlin Wall have been also installed outdoors a couple of years ago ?



About 2.5 m tall, the structure and its graffitis, guarded by a colorful bear sculpture, lie next to Samilgyo, the bridge where Samil-ro passes over Cheonggyecheon (Janggyo-dong, Jung-gu).

Don't start looking for a Haechi guarding Seoul fortress sections in Berlin : that's a one-way operation, and sections of the doomed wall can be found in many other cities worldwide, though seldom in the region (ie Taipei, Singapore).

Don't start looking for rich symbols either, even if somehow the installation celebrates the reconciliation of Korea's capital with itself. More trivially, the spot is now known as Berlin Plaza.

Seoul Village 2011
NEW : follow Seoul Village on Facebook and Twitter

Public bike rental services bloom in Seoul and around

It's high time we had an update about Seoul's public bicycle rental program (see "Seoul Velib'", back in 2008) : it's definitely getting more serious and official, with a really "Velib'-like" look and feel, a website (bikeseoul.com), a mobile app, and 43 stations in operation.

The concept looks very much like the original one*, which was meant to allow as many citizens as possible to ride bikes across the city, even if they can't afford one :
- you pay a very cheap subscription for a day, a week, or a year (in Paris: respectively EUR 1, 5, and 29), but Seoul also proposes 1 month and 6 month solutions (respectively KRW 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, 15,000, and 30,000).
- you're not renting a specific bike, but you have an unlimited access to special bikes which you have to pick up and drop at any of the special stations within the program
- you're not charged anything if you use it less than 30 mn each time, but you pay at least KRW 1,000 per hour beyond that point
- if you need a bike for more than 30 mn and don't want to pay, you can make a stop or change bikes at any station to get another 30 mn free
- the 24/7/365 service is fully automated with online kiosks and seamless cards
- bonus: the bicycles are much smarter and lighter than in Paris (where theft and hooliganism are unfortunately more frequent, thus the bulky shapes and the absence of screen on the vehicles), and location based services will be available.

With this concept, coverage (number of stations across the city) and availability (number of places per station) are the key factors of success. Paris proposed a very aggressive scenario for Velib's inauguration in July 2007 : 750 stations and 7500 bikes for a 105 sq km city with 300 subway stations (and the 1,000th Velib' station was inaugurated by the end of that same year !).

But Seoul is six times bigger than Paris, and even if new bikes lanes are added at a very interesting pace**, neighboroods are much less seamlessly connected (high mountains, bike-unfriendly streets, Hangang much wider than the Seine river...) : one couldn't expect the same service from day one, and since 2007 I've been thinking over the Seoul case (which probably will be solved by the same company***).

I guess the best way to proceed would be step by step, starting with major bike hubs in different districts, and to progressively connect star-shaped islands / sub-networks.

Maybe that's the way Seoul sees it. With only 43 stations clustered around Sangam and Yeouido, this programm looks less like a full launch than a trial in two areas not too remote from each other, and not too far from the Hangang riversides, Seoul's biggest network of bicycle lanes.

Another clue is the quasi absence of branding for the operation : I cannot imagine Seoul Metropolitan Government zapping this essential element of the mix, or sticking to this dull, logoless "공공 자전거" ("gonggong jajeongeo" or "Seoul City Public Bicyle")...

... Or worse: recycling Haechi, already at work for everything bikish at the municipal level - see exhibit A, from the site bike.seoul.go.kr (not to be confused with the aforementioned bikeseoul.com, or even seoulbike.com, a website for the seoul bicycle show / exhibition)...

I'm quite sure we'll see an acceleration by the end of this year, and maybe even a decent brand.

Meanwhile, you can already test the system, or other municipally sponsored bicycle rental programs in Korea, like NUBIJA in Changwon (nubija.changwon.go.kr), or FIFTEEN in Goyang (very well advertized even on major highways with the "Let's FIFTEEN!" campaign, and an iPhone app).

Seoul Village 2011

* Paris Velib', or rather its model: Velo'V (in Lyons, also in France).
** now this is starting to look like a citywide network :
*** since JCDecaux (the world leader in bike sharing with Cyclocity) operates in both capitals, I presume the company is also behind this new project.

Yi Sun-shin drives away

As soon as the G20 Seoul Summit 2010 non-event got packed, Admiral Yi Sun-shin was awarded a few months leave from his position at the lower end of Gwanghwamun Square.

His iron statue was removed today, and driven to a rejuvenating lair probably less glamour than Chaum, CHA Hospital recently inaugurated upscale anti-ageing center*.

I sincerely hope Yi won't come back with the same golden tan as his new neighbor King Sejong (see "Santa Sejong is coming to town").

Anyway, living in Gwanghwamun is a bit like watching a Korean drama : new twists happen every day, but they are quite foreseeable** and you often end up with the same bankable stars.

On the brighter side : since the gate reopened, tourists have been swarming all across the square***. And those who just came for Korean dramas will come back for Seoul.

Seoul Village 2010

* a spectacular, holistic concept for VIPs in the heart of Gangnam, which also happens to be the heart of Korea's booming medical tourism. A reference in birth (and stem cells), CHA Hospital remains ahead of Korean trends and demographics.
** even if, when I wrote "Gwanghwamun restoration : too bballi-bballi ?", I didn't expect the gate to show signs of alteration that quickly : big cracks appeared on its seal just weeks after the inauguration.
*** and the Sejongno Park is yet to be redesigned.

---

UPDATE 20101117

Along with the screen where visitors can appear in Yi's outfit, the statue's pedestal has been animated with an original installation by Yi Je-seok : where the Admiral stood, a huge fitting room, his armor lying on the wall, and the message "undressing" (daluijung) on the door. The King will come out of the closet (no pun intended) on December the 22nd, 2010.

UPDATE 20101210

Oh my gold : I saw pictures of the statue in its lair, and it will have the same coating as King Sejong's (a bit like a cheap plastic Disney toy). Now even Seoul's new baby Haechi character looks scarier than Yi with its fangs. Who the hell is in charge of statues out there ?

UPDATE 20101223

Phew. He's back, but he's not doning gold : after many hesitations, officials opted for a lighter dark color.

Gwanghwamun Square - Preview

Gwanghwamun Square is preparing for its inauguration on Saturday (August 1st, 2009) : most fences have been removed around the site, and a giant stage with big screens installed where The King, the way only major stars do, shall take a seat long after the party is over.

Sorry for disappointing Elvis fans : that King probably won't come. This is Sejongno, and as we saw earlier (see last year's "Gwanghwamun Square" focus on Seoul Village), King Sejong will at last be granted a statue on the avenue named after him. Different projects have been exhibited in front of Sejong Cultural Center a few months ago, but the winner is going to wait until long after the Plaza inauguration : in this (literally) double stage launch, we'll celebrate separately the opening of a new public space and the return of the King.

King Sejong's statue will be officially uncovered on October 9th, 2009... in other words : Hangeul Day (한글날). A perfect tribute to the Great Man's most beautiful gift to his country : the Korean alphabet.

I can't wait until Saturday to see Gwanghwamun Plaza without its last protecting fences. Since I leave one block away, I've been checking the working site almost every day from every angle - from the pavement, from up the staircase of the Cultural Center, from my bike... By the way : bike lanes are ready (see "Seoul loves cycling... even around Gwanghwamun !"), but only around Gyeongbokgung. One-way, painted red, and symbolically protected from car traffic by two rows of stone pavements, they have not been opened to the public ahead of the Plaza's inauguration.

The new traffic lights, joining as expected both sides of Sejongno to the Plaza's midsection, are also ready but not operational yet.

I must confess I did cross by foot today nonetheless, while the traffic was clogged at the main crossing (the only one up to now, in front of the Kyobo Building). The beautiful perspective with Gwanghwamun itself - the gate - and Bukhansan in the background was spoiled by the podium in the foreground, but the screen started flashing the new blue Gwanghwamun Square logo, so you could compare the real thing with its symbol. The logo represents the same perspective with the very same angle, but of course with the original and graceful gate, and not the colorful mock-up hiding it since the restoration of that other landmark started (I wonder how the gate - which has yet to rise from an uncompleted wall - can be ready for the King's party - but then again, I still wondered two weeks ago how the Square could be completed before August 1st).

On the square, the images representing Seoul's history were yet to be washed up from their dust, but the gentle slope leading to the underground gallery (called "Haechi Madan") and Gwanghwamun Subway was opened and fully lit, including the video screens on its sides. The slope looks much larger and nicer than on the master plan drawings. As it offers Haechi a new lair, Seoul pays another tribute to its "new" mascot, a longtime Gwanghwamun resident if I ever saw one (see "Goodbye HiSeoul, hello Haechi").

On Saturday, there shall be crowds and music, geiser fountain shows, wows and aahs. Some may complain about the lack of shade and trees, but at the end of the day, all Seoul citizens will claim the place as theirs, rediscover their history, see the heart of their city from its best angle, wonder at the incredible panorama (I don't know of many capital cities boasting such a beautiful and pristine mountain at its very center). As German-born LEE Charm (Bernard Quandt, the newly appointed head of KNTO) noticed, too many Koreans are not aware of the formidable assets of their country as a tourist destination.

At very last, Sejongno Highway, which cut in two Hanyang's historical center, is gone. Pedestrians, tourists, and Seoul lovers will quickly embrace this most vital articulation, Seoul's original and true center.

-----

ADDENDUM 20080731

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh ! An utterly kitsch multicolored carpet of flowers has been laid all over the square overnight. The nightmarishly kaleidoscopic disneylandesque patterns, probably a tribute to some supposedly French Garden in Michael Jackson's Neverland, reminds me of that extravagant Dutch trap for tulip tourists where I'd been unwillingly dragged back in the 90s.

Now I can't wait to see if this monstruosity will survive Saturday inauguration.

Say it ain't so, OH, please, say it ain't so.

Seoul Haechi Taxis - Orange Cabs

The first passenger of the new Seoul cab is a lion. But Haechi, now the official city mascot*, will limit its presence to the luminous roof signs and the side doors.

According to city officials, the orange color will become as memorable as yellow for NYC cabs or black for London hulks. Nevermind the fact that Seoul taxis will not be orange but white with an orange lining.

It will take nine years to replace all cabs (nowadays white and blue). And I presume the black taxis (premium fares) will survive for a while as well.

Anyway, some color won't hurt these days.







* see "Goodbye HiSeoul, hello Haechi"

Goodbye HiSeoul, hello Haechi

I'm glad Seoul officials decided to dump the "HiSeoul" slogan*.

Born in October 2002, HiSeoul was underlined with the "Soul of Asia" motto four years later. According to the Chosun Ilbo, the official slogan will be either that one or the less delicate "Soul Seoul".

Bonus : the city will be knicknamed "City of Haechi" as a tribute to the fabled lion which gave its brand and logo to Haitai, the famous confectionery company.

On Haitai's logo, the lion looks OK, but the original model has a funny look and a stupid smile. I understand the cultural / nationalist motivation and I do like this character, but many may wonder why the World's center for knowledge society wants to be represented by a strange animal apparently plagued with the IQ of a fencepost.

The daily newspaper presented Haechi (해치)'s new official portrait : a bubble caricature, probably the fruit of a bad LSD trip by a sci-fi cartoon artist. The two statues planned for Gwanghwamun Plaza will probably look more like the ones which laid there a couple of decades ago.

Still, I'm dubious. They just took away the old "bank trees"** in the middle of Sejongno, and I know the new plaza will have no tree - fountains do look nice in the summer but they won't protect you from the blazing sun when you cross this large stretch and they won't be working during the long winters.

* Strangely enough, the death warrant was issued right before the HiSeoul festival - http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200805/200805020021.html
** 은행나무 - I prefer the korean name to the Japanese artifact (gingko biloba)
---
addendum 20080608 : following Hwa Young J's comment, I added the new Haechi logo.

PS : pronounce "Haechi" like you sneeze. Strange way of blessing a city.

---