Seoul's Jongno District (headed by District Mayor Jeong Mun-heon) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the "Hanyangdoseong Changeuimun Severed Section Terrain Restoration Project" and began construction with a target completion date of September 2027, the district announced Wednesday.
The project aims to restore the severed section near Changeuimun Gate of Hanyangdoseong, Seoul's historic city wall, reconnecting the green corridor between Bugaksan (Baegaksan) and Inwangsan mountains and recovering the wall's continuity and historical value. Changeuimun is the only one of the four small gates built during the original construction of Hanyangdoseong in 1396 that retains its Joseon Dynasty-era original form, and is currently designated as a national "Treasure."
However, following the January 21 Incident of 1968, the area was fortified to protect the presidential residence Cheongwadae. The construction of Changeuimun-ro road severed the fortress wall next to the gate, leaving it in its current disconnected state. Jongno District said it "plans to reconnect the site for the first time in 58 years, restoring spatial continuity and improving the walking environment and visitor convenience."
