Yongsan Garrison History | From a Closed Military Zone to a Public Park

The former Yongsan Garrison is transforming from a restricted military zone into one of Seoul’s most important historical and ecological spaces.

 

A Hidden Piece of Seoul Finally Returns to the Public

If you've ever walked near Yongsan Station or Sinyongsan Station, you may have noticed a vast green area hidden behind fences in the middle of the city.

For more than a century, this land remained inaccessible to ordinary citizens.

From the Japanese colonial era to the period of U.S. military occupation, Yongsan was one of the most restricted places in Korea.

Today, however, the story is changing.

The former military zone is gradually reopening as a place for history, nature, and public memory.

How Yongsan Became a Military Stronghold

Yongsan's strategic location made it valuable long before modern times.

Situated between the Han River and central Seoul, it served as an important logistical hub throughout Korean history.

The modern military transformation began during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.

Large sections of local villages were seized and converted into military facilities.

What had once been farmland and residential communities became barracks, rail facilities, and administrative buildings.

For many residents, it marked the loss of their homes and livelihoods.

Liberation Did Not Immediately Return the Land

When Korea gained independence in 1945, many expected the military compound to return to public use.

Instead, the site was taken over by the U.S. military.

Following the Korean War, it became the headquarters of U.S. Forces Korea and the Eighth Army.

For decades, Yongsan remained a city within a city.

Although located in the heart of Seoul, it stayed physically and psychologically separated from everyday life.

Yongsan History Museum Preserves These Memories

One of the most visible symbols of change is the Yongsan History Museum.

The museum occupies the former Yongsan Railway Hospital, originally built in 1928 during the colonial period.

Its preserved red-brick architecture offers visitors a direct connection to the area's complex past.

Inside, exhibits focus not only on governments and military organizations but also on the ordinary people who lived and worked around Yongsan through different eras.

Their stories help visitors understand the human side of history.

A New Vision: Ecology, Memory, and Public Space

The future Yongsan Park project is more than a landscaping effort.

It represents an attempt to reconnect nature, history, and urban life.

Rather than removing every trace of the past, planners aim to preserve selected historic structures while restoring ecological corridors linking Namsan Mountain and the Han River.

This approach allows visitors to experience both environmental recovery and historical reflection in one place.

Walking Through Yongsan Is Walking Through Korean History

Yongsan tells the story of modern Korea.

Colonial occupation, liberation, war, foreign military presence, and urban renewal all intersect here.

Visiting the area offers a unique opportunity to see how cities evolve while carrying the memories of previous generations.

The reopening of Yongsan is not simply about creating another park.

It is about transforming a once-forbidden space into a place of learning, remembrance, and shared public life.

Kori's Thoughts

The return of Yongsan to the public feels larger than a development project.

It is the reopening of a chapter that remained closed for more than 120 years.

By preserving difficult memories while creating new spaces for future generations, Yongsan reminds us that history is not something to erase—it is something to understand.

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👉 [Yongsan Garrison History | How 120 Years of Restricted Land Returned to the Public]

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#YongsanGarrison #YongsanPark #SeoulHistory #KoreanHistory #UrbanRenewal #HistoryTravel #SeoulTravel #KoriKorea

📌 About the Kori Korea Series

Kori Korea explores the cities, regions, landmarks, and historical spaces that shaped modern Korea.

Through stories hidden behind familiar streets and buildings, the series helps readers discover the deeper layers of Korean history and culture.

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