Seokchon Lake Park

In the heart of Jamsil, beneath the soaring Lotte World Tower, lies a lake lined all the way round with cherry trees. Seokchon Lake Park, officially Songpa Naru Park, turns a lake left behind by an old branch of the Han River into a walking circuit. Most of the year it is a neighbourhood stroll, but in cherry blossom season it becomes one of Seoul's busiest flower walks.

History: a lake that used to be a river

Jamsil was once a sandbank in the middle of the Han River, with a side channel called the Songpa River flowing to the south. Its banks held the Songpa ferry crossing and the Songpa market, busy with people and goods. When the main river channel was reshaped from 1969, this branch was filled in, but part of it was left as a lake. In the early 1980s the lake was landscaped into today's park.

The lake covers 217,850 m² with an average depth of 4.5 m. Songpa-daero road runs through the middle, dividing it into an East Lake and a West Lake.

What to see

• West Lake: Magic Island, the outdoor part of Lotte World, sits on the water, alongside the Seoul Norimadang performance space. This side of the walk has the rides and the fairy-tale castle as a backdrop.
• East Lake: the quieter side, popular with locals for early-morning jogs and walks.
• Cherry blossom path: cherry trees line both sides of the lakeside path, forming a tunnel of blossom in spring, with lights reflected in the water at night. The Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival is held every year at peak bloom.
• Photo Island: a viewing spot on the way from Songpa-daero to the West Lake, chosen by Seoul as one of its 50 best viewpoints, framing the lake against the high-rises.
• Samjeondo Monument: near the West Lake entrance stands the stele the Qing dynasty forced Joseon to erect after the Manchu invasion of 1636–1637, a rare inscription in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese.

Good to know

In October 2014 a giant Rubber Duck by a Dutch artist floated on the lake for a month and drew huge crowds, and large installations still appear on the water from time to time. The lake also became famous with K-pop fans after an idol posted a photo taken here.

Nearby

• Lotte World Tower: the supertall tower on the north side of the lake; its observation deck looks straight down on the water.
• Lotte World: the indoor theme park, linked to Magic Island on the West Lake.
• Songnidan-gil: lanes of cafés and restaurants close to the lake, good for a break after your walk.

Tripto tips

• Admission: open at all times and free. There are toilets.
• Getting there: about 560 m from Exit 2 of Seokchon Gobun Station (Line 9). It is also directly reachable from Lotte World and Lotte World Tower.
• Cherry blossom season: the trees usually bloom in early April, when weekend afternoons are very crowded. Early weekday mornings are calmer.
• Time needed: about an hour to loop both lakes, or 30–40 minutes for one side.