New pedestrian paths to open in Seoul’s city center

New pedestrian paths to open in Seoul’s city center. April. 27, 2016 07:22. by 송충현기자 balgun@donga.com. New pedestrian paths that will allow people to walk along to visit major hotspots in Seoul’s city center, including Seoul Station, Heunginjimun gate and Insa-dong, will be designated and opened by year’s end.

The Seoul city government has announced its plan to create "urban walk paths" extending 25.4 kilometers in total comprising five routes by year’s end. There is no decent walk path in city center, an area that is heavily crowded with citizens and tourists, except Seoul Dulle-gil (157 kilometers) throughout the city and Hanyang Doseong-gil (18.6 km) along outskirts of ancient Seoul.

The five new courses are Ieum-gil (9.5 km) Yet Punggyeong-gil (Ancient Scenery Path, 4.5 km) Neul Cheongchun-gil (Always Youth Path (3.8 km), Jongno Unjong-gil (4 km) and Cheonggyemul-gil (3.6 km). Ieum-gil is a belt path that links Seoul Station or the gate to the Korean capital, to Jeong-dong, Gwanghwamun, Insa-dong, Heunginjimun, Myeong-dong, and to Seoul Station. Ieum-gil’s upper section (6 km) that connects Seoul Station through Heunginjimun will be completed in this year’s first half, while the lower section that passes through Myeong-dong will be finished in April 2017, timed with the completion of the "Seoul Station 7017 project" that will transform Seoul Station Overpass into a park.

“We will continue developing new pedestrian paths by making most of historical, cultural and tourism resources not only in city center but also across Seoul,” the city government said. “If pedestrian paths are opened, the tourism industry will boom, which in turn will help the Seoul economy as well.”