Tapgol Park

Tapgol Park, laid out in 1897, was Seoul's first modern public park, and it is where the Declaration of Independence was read on 1 March 1919, launching the March First Movement against Japanese rule. It is a small park in the middle of Jongno, yet the site of a great early Joseon temple, a stone pagoda that is a National Treasure and memories of the independence movement all overlap here. Entry is free, which makes it an easy first stop on a walk around central Seoul.

History: from temple ground to park

A temple called Heungboksa stood here in the Goryeo period, and King Sejo of Joseon rebuilt it as Wongaksa. Some 2,100 soldiers were mobilised for the work, and it became the largest temple inside the city walls. As anti-Buddhist policies hardened, King Yeonsangun turned the site into quarters for court entertainers and musicians, and in 1514 the temple's timber was taken for other government buildings. Only the pagoda and a stele survived. In 1897, on the proposal of John McLeavy Brown, a British adviser to King Gojong, a Western-style park was created and named Pagoda Park. It was renamed Tapgol Park in 1992.

What to see

• Ten-storey Pagoda of Wongaksa Temple Site (National Treasure): one of the finest Joseon pagodas, carved in marble with detailed Buddhist figures and patterns. It is protected inside a glass enclosure.
• Stele of Wongaksa (Treasure): a stone recording the founding of the temple, set on a turtle-shaped base and topped with two carved dragons.
• Palgakjeong pavilion: the octagonal pavilion associated with the reading of the Declaration of Independence by students and citizens on 1 March 1919. It is a Seoul Tangible Cultural Heritage.
• March First Movement memorials: relief murals of independence scenes, a statue of Son Byeong-hui and a monument to Han Yong-un are spread around the park.

Good to know

"Tapgol" means "pagoda village", the old local name for the neighbourhood around the tower. The park's first official name used the English word "pagoda", but locals always called it Tapgol. Since the 2000s it has also been known as a gathering place for older people, so historic monuments and everyday Jongno life share the same small space.

How the park has changed

In Wongaksa's heyday the site held a great bell cast from 50,000 geun of copper collected from across the country, and the ten-storey pagoda, which enshrined relics of the Buddha and a newly translated sutra. Under Yeonsangun the site was renamed Yeonbangwon and housed some 1,200 entertainers and 1,000 musicians brought from all over the country. Change continued after it became a park. In 1967 a ring of shops called the Pagoda Arcade was built around it, only to be demolished in 1983, after which the walls were replaced and the gates restored. The park was designated a Historic Site in 1991 and covers about 15,051 m².

Easy to miss

The Wongaksa stele is about 4.9 m tall; its turtle base is granite and the tablet itself marble. The park's original main gate was moved to an elementary school in Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, where it is listed as a cultural property in its own right.

Tripto tips

• Hours: March–October 09:00–18:00, December–February 09:00–17:00. Admission is free.
• Getting there: a few minutes' walk from Jongno 3-ga Station (Lines 1, 3 and 5) or Jonggak Station (Line 1).
• Time needed: about 30 minutes is enough for the pagoda, the stele and the pavilion.
• Combine with: Insadong, Unhyeongung and Jogyesa Temple are all within walking distance. Around 1 March the park can be busy with commemorative events.