6-km Section of Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest Open to Public

Seven years after the beginning of the revitalization of the Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest project by Seoul in 2013, the entire 6-km section of the forest has been completely connected to allow for uninterrupted walking.

Following the three sectional openings, the city completed the connection of the final 0.4-km section (from the entrance of Seoul National University of Science & Technology to the Gongdeok 2 Railway Crossing and Happy Housing office) that was left incomplete due to the construction of the Happy Housing office. The completed Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest is now officially and fully open to the public.

The Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest was transformed into a green park through Seoul’s Urban Regeneration Project of the abandoned Gyeongchun Line site following the discontinuance of the use of the railway in December of 2010. The old railroad track and structure was preserved while utilizing traces of the railway to plant flowers and trees for the creation of a “forest line.”

The newly opened section will be home to a photo exhibition incorporating the opening processes of the entire Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest section. The exhibition will feature images of the Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) from its first installment in 1936, to its closing in 2010, and its transformation into a forest.

Each section of the Gyeongchun Line (Railroad) Forest has a special quality and charm. The first section hosted the transformation of a house into a café, to become a space of meeting and communication among residents. The second section is a park created by citizens that contains a vegetable garden and various trees. The third section consists of a railroad track in the forest where visitors can take quiet walks together with the history of the old Hwarangdae.