Gwacheon Racetrack Relocation Sparks Competition Among Gyeonggi Cities

Seongsu-dong, which has emerged as one of Seoul's hottest destinations over the past decade, has deep historical ties to horses. Before the Manchu invasion of 1636, when horse breeding was regulated, Seongsu-dong was home to the largest horse ranch in the country. The king at the time reportedly watched horse breeding and military training from Seongdeokjeong Pavilion near what is now Seoul Forest. The pavilion, located on a relatively high mound overlooking the Han River, also served as an evacuation site during floods. The name "Seongsu-dong" is said to derive from the first syllables of Seongdeokjeong and Suwon-ji (water source).

Shortly after the Korean War in 1954, a racetrack was built in Seongsu-dong. Korea's first racetrack had opened near Ichon-dong in 1921 during Japanese colonial rule but was destroyed by the devastating "Great Flood of 1925" that swept across the peninsula. About three years later in 1928, a new racetrack opened between what is now Sinseol-dong and Cheonggyecheon Stream. When the Korean War left the Sinseol-dong racetrack in ruins, the Korea Racing Authority searched for a new location and established Ttukseom Racetrack at the Seoul Forest site in Seongsu-dong. The 35-year Ttukseom racetrack era ended in 1989 with the opening of "Seoul Racecourse" in Gwacheon.

Last month, the government announced plans to relocate the Gwacheon racetrack and the nearby Defense Counterintelligence Command to supply 9,800 housing units, prompting the Korea Racing Authority to search for a new site once again. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to relocate the Gwacheon racetrack within Gyeonggi Province. With apartments on the Gwacheon racetrack site targeted for groundbreaking in 2030, the relocation is expected to be completed within four years.

Despite controversies over gambling promotion and environmental pollution, racetracks are called "geese that lay golden eggs" for generating massive tax revenue and large-scale regional development benefits. While Gwacheon city, which collects over 50 billion won annually in taxes from the Korea Racing Authority, opposes the move, major cities in Gyeonggi Province are already actively competing to host the new facility. The former Ttukseom Racetrack site in Seongsu-dong, transformed into a new Seoul landmark through the Seoul Forest project, has become a popular destination for foreign tourists. One hopes the Gwacheon racetrack, once relocated, will also be reborn as a new urban space alive with cultural vitality—much like Seoul Forest.