Exploring Seoul, South Korea I 2025 I 4K I Part 18 : Jeong-dong

Jeong-dong is a district where the history of the Korean Empire blends with traces of modern Western culture. Strolling along the Deoksugung Stone Wall Road, you'll encounter historic buildings and beautiful scenery, making it a popular downtown stroll. In the late 19th century, when Deoksugung Palace became the main palace of the Korean Empire, the Jeong-dong area became a hub for modern diplomacy and culture, attracting diplomatic missions from Western powers.

Deoksugung palace has served as a temporary palace since 1593, just one year after the Japanese invasion in 1592 when all palaces in the capital were destroyed. Later in 1611, it was named Gyeongungung Palace and became an official palace with a court. When Changdeokgung Palace was rebuilt, Gyeongungung Palace became a secondary palace. As Emperor Gojong declared the Korean Empire in 1897 and assumed the throne as an emperor, the Palace served as the imperial court and palace of the Korean Empire. Later, its status was elevated to befit the dignity of an empire.

Seokjojeon Hall is a Western-style stone building that was built as Emperor Gojong’s sleeping and living quarters. The name "Seokjo" means "built with stones." The Hall was designed by Harding, a British architect, and was a part of the national modernization policy of the Korean Empire. It is styled with the Neoclassicism design from the West, and it features balconies at the front and both sides of the building.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, is a museum housed within a palace, housing modern Korean art. Its founding aims are to systematize the formation and development of modern art, establish the aesthetic and historical perspectives expressed in it, and ultimately, realize cultural identity.

Seoul Museum of Art is a romantic space in the heart of the city. The museum building, with its nearly 100-year-old façade preserved intact, exudes a tranquil charm from its exterior. Built in 1928, it served as the Supreme Court after liberation and was transformed into the Seoul Museum of Art in 2002.

Jeongdong First Methodist Church, founded in 1885 by American Methodist missionary Henry Appenzeller, is Korea's first Methodist church. Bethel Chapel, built in 1897, is Korea's first Western-style Protestant chapel. This red brick Victorian Gothic-style building holds significant significance in the history of modern Korean architecture.

Paichai School, founded in 1885 by American missionary Henry Appenzeller, was Korea's first modern private secondary educational institution. Its name, meaning "a house for nurturing and learning useful talent," was personally bestowed by Emperor Gojong in 1886. The School's core subjects included English, astronomy, geography, physiology, mathematics, and the Bible.

Ewha Girls' High School, a private high school located in Jeong-dong, was founded in 1886 as Korea's first women's educational institution. Ewha school began in 1885 when Mary Scranton, a missionary from the North American Methodist Women's Missionary Society who had come to Korea, began teaching a single female student.

Entering Jeongdong Neighborhood Park, a towering white building rises. This is the last vestige of the former Russian Embassy. The building is steeped in the sad history of the Russian Legation. Emperor Gojong, fearing for his life after the assassination of Empress Myeongseong by the Japanese, sought refuge here for a year.

The Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture was established in 2015 as part of the "Sejong-daero Area Historical and Cultural Specialization Space Creation Project," a project launched by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation. The project involved demolishing the former National Tax Service annex, a remnant of the Japanese colonial era, and restoring its historical value to the public.

The Seoul Cathedral of the Anglican Church of Korea, located in Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, is a representative Anglican cathedral in South Korea. Its architecture harmoniously blends Romanesque and traditional Korean architectural styles. Designated Tangible Cultural Property No. 35 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it is also a significant historical site in modern and contemporary Korean history.

Les Mains Dorées, French for "golden hands," is a place where you can enjoy coffee and bread made by artisans who consistently create delicious creations. a longtime neighborhood hangout in Seorae Village, has now opened in Gwanghwamun. It's a three-story building in Mugyo-dong, between Seoul City Hall and Cheonggye Stream.

Seoul's Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) will present a large-scale immersive media art installation that blurs the boundaries between technology and art. Spectral Crossings is a media art exhibition that captures the moment when AI-generated faces and formless streams of emotion move along the light and intersect with the viewer.