Historic and social center of Seoul, South Korea
City Centre and Central business district in Seoul Special City, South Korea
The Downtown Seoul (Korean: 서울 도심, 서울 도심부, 서울 시내) is traditional city center and central business district of Seoul, located through Gwanghwamun of Jongno District and Seoul Station of Jung District. For its time-honored and unique geographic status in Seoul, the Downtown is usually just called as 'The Central Business District (CBD)', or somteimes as 'Gwanghwamun Business District (GBD)' for outstanding landmark 'Gwanghwamun' at the heart of it.
History and status
In the age of Joseon, Seoul had conventional downtown inside of the Four Great Gates (Korean: 사대문), which was called as Sadaemun-an (Korean: 사대문 안; lit. inside of the Four Great Gates). This long history of the area later discouraged urban regeneration in 20th century as its property rights were too much diffused. Turning point for urban redevelopment came when the United States president Lyndon B. Johnson visited Seoul in 1960s. Koreans were upset when their traditional heart of the Seoul city was projected in foreign TV screens as outdated old town, and this public discontent propelled redevelopment of Downtown Seoul as national initiative. Yet as South Korea in 1960s were still emerging and developing country, redevelopment program for Downtown Seoul could not draw enough resources. It was later in 1980s, when South Korea got developed enough to attract capital investments for such program. Asian game of 1986 and Summer Olympic of 1988 was a turning point for redevelopment of Seoul. Lots of landmark buildings in cityscape of Downtown Seoul was built around this period, such as 'Gwanghwamun Kyobo Building' and 'Korea Press Center Building' in Sejong-daero.[2]: 111–118
It is notable that eventhough government-led redevelopment of Seoul in 1970s and 80s were trying to redistribute Downtown Seoul's role as central business district to Gangnam and Yeouido, the Downtown Seoul continuously kept growing as it was Seoul's only and the most long-established city center. This continued economic growth of the Downtown is often explained as it was the only place which could satisfy face-to-face contacts among traditional governmental and economic elites in Seoul.[3]: 292–294 Before relocating some of executive ministries to the Sejong City in 2010s, the Downtown Seoul was center of the old Seoul with full of powerful government executives, such as Government Complex Seoul, Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Blue House. Also, other branches of the national government were all located in the Downtown Seoul. For example, the Supreme Court of Korea was located in Seosomun-dong of Jung District until 1990s, and the Constitutional Court of Korea is still seated in Anguk-dong of Jongno District. Even the National Assembly was seated in Seosomun-dong of Jung District before the Korea National Assembly Proceeding Hall was built in 1970s. This concentration of political power in the Downtown Seoul led most of prominent media, and law firms to settle in it. Core regions in the Downtown Seoul, such as Myeong-dong of Jung District and Jongno-dong of Jongno District are the uppermost central part of the Seoul still in nowadays.[4]: 29–30
The Downtown Seoul's incomparable status as historic and political center of the Seoul, can also be found by most of symbolic protests happened in contemporary history of South Korea. June Democratic Struggle in 1987,[5] Protest against import of US beef in 2008,[6] and protests around impeachment of Park Geun-hye in 2017[7] are some of leading example for such protests. Seoul Plaza and Gwanghwamun Plaza in the Downtown Seoul are famous place where those historically important protests were held. Though the South Korean presidential palace has been moved from the Blue House of Jongno District to Presidential Office of Yongsan District in 2023, the Downtown Seoul is still an unmatched symbolic place where most of significant social protests in South Korea happens.[8]
Geography and planning
While the Downtown Seoul has almost 600 years history of urban development, as it includes most of historic landmarks in old Seoul, such as Gwanghwamun and Changdeokgung, some of its well-known cityscapes are originated in modern ages. For example, famous Hanok town in Bukchon Hanok Village was created intentionally from 1910s to 1930s during the Colonial era of Korea, to accommodate rapid growth of city population.[9]: 66–68 Also, Cheonggyecheon was demolished around 1950s, yet restored into contemporary landmark in 2000s.[10]: 8–10
In spite of its long history, the Downtown Seoul as concept of city zoning started in 2000s. Early stage of city planning on the Downtown Seoul was confined to redeveloping the most traditional commercial zones, especially areas like Myeong-dong or Sogong-dong. Though the early city plans were calling the Downtown Seoul as Sadaemun-an, it was not actually covering every areas inside of the Four Great Gates, while it covered some of commercially important areas outside of the Fortress Wall, such as Seoul Station. From 1990s, this tendency of city planning on the Downtown Seoul have changed to encouraging heritage preservation.[11]: 43–44 For example, the metropolitan government of Seoul renewed precise border of the Downtown Seoul in latest plan as following; Dasan-ro to the east, Tongil-ro to the west, Seoul Station and some part of Namsan to the South, and some part of Bugaksan to the North. This renewed boundary of the Downtown Seoul is based on old city border demarcated by the Fortress Wall.[12]: 134–135
