Alleys of Changsin-dong

Right behind Dongdaemun Gate, steep stairways and narrow lanes climb the slopes of Naksan in layers. Sewing workshops leak the sound of machines into every alley, many houses still look as they did in the 1970s and 80s, and tucked between them are traces of Nam June Paik and Park Su-geun and the cliff of a colonial-era quarry. It is not a polished sight, but walking here you can read how Seoul worked and lived.

A neighbourhood of sewing machines

Changsin-dong is packed with the garment workshops that supply the Dongdaemun fashion malls. Motorbikes loaded with bundles of fabric buzz through the lanes, and through half-open doors you hear sewing machines and radios. The neighbourhood's Ieumpium Sewing History Museum tells the story of the local garment trade and shows how clothes are made. The Changsin-dong sewing village has been listed as Seoul Future Heritage.

A hill cut away

Above the houses rises a cliff that looks as if the mountain had been sliced in half. During the Japanese colonial period high-quality granite was quarried here and in neighbouring Sungin-dong, and the stone went into buildings such as the Government-General Building, Gyeongseong Station (today Culture Station Seoul 284) and the Bank of Joseon. On top of the quarry, the Changsin-Sungin Quarry Observatory opened in November 2019, with a wide view over the downtown skyline. Just below it is the Sanmaru children's playground.

Where artists lived

• Nam June Paik Memorial House: the video-art pioneer spent 13 years of his childhood here; the hanok on the site of his family home opened as a memorial in March 2017. Admission is free; closed on Mondays and 1 January.
• Former homes of Park Su-geun and Kim Kwang-seok: the sites where the painter and the singer lived are part of the walking route.
• On screen: the lanes include a filming location of the film Architecture 101, and they are also presented as the backdrop of a steep-alley scene in Parasite that mirrors the Kim family's precarious situation.

How to walk it

Jongno District's guided alley course starts at the Naksan Park playground lookout and heads downhill past the quarry observatory, the village below the quarry cliff, the sewing street museum, Ieumpium, Changsin Market, the site of Kim Kwang-seok's home, the Nam June Paik Memorial House, the stationery and toy market and the site of Park Su-geun's home, ending at Cheonggyecheon-ro. The full route takes about 2.5 hours, and tours with a guide can be booked in advance. Because it runs from the top of the hill down, it is easier on the legs.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: about 1.5 hours for the Nam June Paik Memorial House and the quarry observatory; 2–3 hours for the full walk.
• Getting there: from Dongdaemun Station exit 2 (Lines 1 and 4) or Dongmyo Station exit 10 (Lines 1 and 6), take Jongno village bus 03 to the Naksan Park terminus and walk down. You can also enter the lanes directly from Changsin Station on Line 6.
• Etiquette: people live and work here. Keep your voice down, don't peer into homes or photograph houses, and take your rubbish with you.
• Watch out for: lots of stairs and slopes, and delivery motorbikes in the lanes. Wear comfortable shoes and keep to the side.
• When to go: on weekday daytimes the workshops are running; around sunset the view from the quarry observatory is at its best.
• Nearby: Naksan Park, the Seoul City Wall trail and Dongmyo Shrine are all within walking distance.
• Information: Jongno-gu tourism office, +82 2-2148-1855