Country South Korea Special City Seoul Area 17.61 km² Bird Korean magpie | Region Sudogwon Administrative dong 14 Population 313,814 (2010) | |
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Demonym(s) 서대문구민 (Seodaemun gumin) Time zone Korea Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
Seodaemun District (Seodaemun-gu) is a gu located in northwestern Seoul, South Korea. The name derives from Seodaemun, meaning literally "Great West Gate", which was once located in the district. Seodaemun was one of the four great gates of the city wall surrounding the Joseon capital of Hanyang (only Dongdaemun and Namdaemun survive intact, though the latter was destroyed by arson in 2008 and only recently rebuilt).
Contents
- Map of Seodaemun gu Seoul South Korea
- Administrative divisions
- Infrastructure
- Government and infrastructure
- Education
- Facilities
- Attractions
- Sister cities
- References
Map of Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Administrative divisions
Seodaemun District consists of 14 "administrative dong"s (haengjeong-dong 행정동).
Infrastructure
Government and infrastructure
At one time the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST) had its headquarters in the district.
Education
Seobu District Office of Education under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education operates public schools in Seodaemun District.
There are also numerous private institutions in Seodaemun District offering education for primary and secondary levels.
Private primary and secondary schools:
Private institutions offering higher education in Seodaemun District are Chugye University for the Arts, Ewha Womans University, Kyonggi University, Methodist Theological University, Myongji College, Myongji University, Seoul School of Integrated Sciences & Technologies, Seoul Women's College of Nursing, and Yonsei University.
Seodaemun District also has a public library called Lee Jin Ah Memorial Library. The construction of the library was made possible through a generous donation by the parents of the namesake Lee. Lee's Parents, after losing Lee in a tragic lethal accident, wanted to commemorate the life of their daughter who enjoyed reading. Since the opening on Lee's anniversary in 2005, the main library now has approximately over 76,000 books.
Facilities
Government and infrastructure
The Korean National Police Agency has its headquarters in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun District.
Attractions
The district covers 17.6 square kilometers, approximately 2.9% of the total area of Seoul. Seodaemun District is populated by middle and upper-income families.
Seodaemun District incorporates residential areas and historical areas including Bongwon Temple, Sinchon Railway Station (the oldest train station in Seoul) and Seodaemun Prison History Hall. Also it has a historic culture site "Seodaemun Independence Park." This place located at Dongnimmun station, allows people to learn about history through 3.1 independence memorial statue, Independence Gate and more. This educational park is a major tourist attraction of Seodaemun District that provides a comfortable place of culture and leisure. Seodaemun District is a Rest Place together with nature surrounded by Mt. Ansan, Mt. Baengnyeonsan and Hongjecheon stream in the city. Also known as Mt. Muaksan, Mt. Ansan has many steep slopes, but because it has an altitude of only 295.5m, it is a favorite hiking trail among locals. There are about ten climbing courses where everyone can enjoy a walk in the forests filled with wild flowers, pine trees, cherry blossom trees, etc. At the summit, there is Ansan Beacon Mound, where you can view Mt. Bukhansan, Mt. Inwangsan, Haegjusanseong Fortress and Hangang River. Mt. Ansan is a highly popular tourist attraction of Seodaemun District. Also, on the Mt. Ansan path, the Seodaemun Museum of Natural History, built by the local governing body, exhibits various geological and biological relics and records. Named after Hongjewon, which was where Chinese envoys were greet and entertained, Hongjecheon Stream was where the women who were forcefully taken to the Qing Dynasty cleansed their bodies upon returning home. The once dried stream was restored and today there is a musical fountain, a water mill, a man-made waterfall, hiking trails and more for locals and tourists to enjoy.
There are shopping streets for the young, "Walking street" in Sinchon and "Fashion street" near Ewha Womans University. Here, People can enjoy shopping according to their own style from head to toe and still have money left for a cup of coffee. The area has a 66㎡ store of Korean cosmetics brand Skin Food, which has been opened since June 2004 in Changcheon-dong and it also sells Traditional Korean medicine or hanbang.