Jangchungdan Park

At the eastern foot of Namsan, right outside Dongguk University Station, Jangchungdan Park is today a neighbourhood park for walks and exercise, but it began as an altar for those who died for the country. Its name comes from Jangchungdan, the shrine Emperor Gojong built in 1900 for the officials and soldiers killed in the 1895 Eulmi Incident. The park is also home to Supyogyo, a stone bridge that spanned the Cheonggyecheon stream in the reign of King Sejong, so you can see an early Joseon bridge up close.

From imperial memorial altar to park

To honour those who died defending the palace during the Eulmi Incident of 1895, when Empress Myeongseong was assassinated, among them regiment commander Hong Gye-hun and Minister of the Royal Household Yi Gyeong-jik, Gojong built Jangchungdan on the site of Namsoyeong, a military camp below Namsan, and ordered rites to be held every spring and autumn. Victims of the Imo Incident (1882) and the Gapsin Coup (1884) were later enshrined there too. It is often described as the first national memorial established by the Korean Empire.

As Japanese influence grew, the rites stopped in 1908, and around 1919 thousands of cherry trees were planted to turn the area into a Japanese-style park. In 1932 a temple honouring Itō Hirobumi, Bakmunsa, was built nearby. Bakmunsa and the statues of Japanese soldiers were removed after liberation in 1945, but the shrine buildings were destroyed in the Korean War. The exact location of the altar has been lost; it is thought to have stood near the southern end of today's park, opposite the children's baseball field.

What to look for

• Jangchungdan Stele: designated No. 1 among Seoul's tangible cultural heritage. The three characters on the front were written by Sunjong while he was crown prince, and the text on the back was composed by Min Yeong-hwan, who took his own life in 1905 in protest at the Eulsa Treaty. In 1969 it was moved here, beside Supyogyo, from the state guest house that stood where the Shilla Hotel is today.
• Supyogyo: a stone bridge built over the Cheonggyecheon in 1420. A horse market nearby gave it its first name, Majeongyo; it became Supyogyo after a water-level gauge (supyo) was set up next to it in 1441. It was dismantled when the stream was covered over and moved here in 1959 (some sources say 1965). Look at how the corners of the piers point upstream to break the force of the current. It is Seoul Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 18; the Supyogyo you see on today's Cheonggyecheon is a modern copy.
• Independence memorials: a statue of Yi Jun, the envoy sent to the 1907 Hague peace conference, a monument to diplomat Yi Han-eung, who died in London in 1905, and a statue of Samyeong Daesa, the monk who led a monks' army against the Japanese invasions of the 1590s. The Paris Petition Monument marks the 1919 letter in which 137 Confucian scholars appealed to the Paris Peace Conference for Korean independence.
• Jangchungjeong and the pine wood: an octagonal pavilion with red pillars and painted eaves stands among the pines, and the southern exit of the park leads onto the Namsan walking trails.

A stage for modern history

Its open grounds also made the park a stage for Korean politics. In May 1957 hired thugs stormed an opposition rally here in what became known as the Jangchungdan rally incident, and in April 1971 Kim Dae-jung held a huge presidential campaign rally in the park. Singer Bae Ho's song "Foggy Jangchungdan Park" made the name familiar across the country.

In the basement of the park's senior citizens' centre, the exhibition room "Jangchungdan, A Space of Memory" tells the story of the shrine, its hardships and its preservation through photos, documents and video. It is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–17:00 (closed 13:00–14:00 for lunch), closed on Sundays and public holidays, and free.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: about 40 minutes for the stele, Supyogyo and the memorials; 1–2 hours if you continue onto the Namsan trails.
• Best seasons: cherry blossom around Supyogyo in spring, and autumn colour among the pines.
• Getting there: take Line 3 to Dongguk University Station, Exit 6; the park entrance is right outside.
• Combine it with: the National Theater of Korea and Jangchung Arena are close by, so the park makes a good stop before or after a show or a game. The Namsan trails lead on towards the summit.