Seoul section of Gyeongchun Line Forest Park to open Saturday

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that the 6-kilometer section of the old Gyeongchun Line located in Seoul is revamped as a forest park for pedestrians. It has been about eight years for the abandoned site of the railroad to reopen as a park after its suspension in December 2010.

The official opening date of the entire Seoul section of the Gyeongchun Line Forest Park is Sunday, May 11. The 400-meter section between Seoul National University of Science and Technology and the second Gongdeok railroad crossing—a final hurdle that had delayed the full opening—has been finally restored. This section falls on the land owned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and where the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) has constructed “happy houses” since 2015. According to the metropolitan government, it has been decided that the city government will carry out the management and maintenance of the section after negotiations with relevant institutions, including LH.

The Gyeongchun Line had transported people between the Kwangwoon University station and the Chuncheon station until 2010. The Gyeongchun Line Forest Park starts from the Gyeongchun railroad bridge next to Nokcheon Middle School, excluding the vicinity of the Kwangwoon University station, which is currently used as a turning point for trains. It takes about two hours to walk the entire length of the park along the railroad that connects Seoul to the border of Guri, Gyeonggi Province. Not only trails but also gardens with various types of trees can be encountered in the park as well as cafes and an exhibition space, which has recreated train scenes in the past, including uniforms of train crew. Once out of the Seoul section, begins a bicycle road that leads as far as to Chuncheon.


Woo-Shin Han hanwshin@donga.com