Seoul - 3.2 Transformation of the Urban Space
| Understanding Korea Series No.4 | ||
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| 1) Transformation of the City Prototype | 2) Transformation of the Urban Space | 3) Expansion of Gyeongseong’s Urban Area |
The urban space of the capital was divided into Bukchon (North Village), Namchon (South Village), Jungchon (Middle Village), Sangchon (Upper Village) and Hachon (Lower Village) that separated the population by residents’ status and occupation during the Joseon period. Mostly, the upper class yangban (nobles) took residences at the foot of the four inner mountains where there had scenic views. The people of wealth and power at the time, the members of the Noron Faction, lived in Bukchon (north of Jonggak) as a group. The military nobilities and nobles who lost political grounds and belonged to the Namin and Soron Factions collectively lived on the foot of Mokmyeok Mountain(Namsan). People of the Sobuk Faction lived around Naksan. People of the Soron Faction lived near Seosomun. The merchants and professionals such as official interpreters, government physicians, legal aids and petty officers resided in Jungchon located near Cheongyechon.
However, when Korea opened its ports to the world in 1882, the existing structure began to transform. The Legations of the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia were established near Deoksugung, and the Japanese Legation was built in Namsan forming a foreign concession within the capital. Most notably, the number of Japanese increased exponentially after the Japanese Annexation of Korea in 1910, and they settled in the northwest hillside of Namsan and the Yongsan area. Namsam was most affected by colonization during the Japanese Colonial Period not only because it was situated in the entranceway that was a short cut connecting the Han River urban center through the Yongsan open market but also because it was relatively easier for foreigners to sneak into Namchon compared to Bukchon where the nobles lived. During the Joseon Dynasty patterns of residence was determined by social status. The upper middle class lived north of Cheongyecheon, and the common people lived south of Cheongyechon. During the Japanese Colonial Period the pattern changed: Koreans lived north of Cheongyecheon, and Japanese lived south of Cheongyecheon. In short, the urban space was divided by nationalities.
The expansion of the modern commercial space fanned out from the Bank of Joseon Plaza as the center to Bonjeong (present-day Myeong-dong and Chungmuro) and Hwanggeumjeong (Euljiro), separate from the original Korean-oriented ‘Jongno.’ The theaters that disseminated western culture opened up in the most lavishly and glamorously decorated place in Gyeongseong, Bonjeong. It enjoyed unequalled economic and cultural fame as the mecca of consumerism due to the rising mass appeal of new products and modern culture. It earned itself a nickname, ‘the Ginza of Gyeongseong.’ Bonjeong was renamed as Myeong-dong and Chungmuro after the Liberation. It continued as the cultural center of the city and was established as the headquarters for Korean movie industry enjoying its heydays between the late 1950’s to the 1960’s.
