[EXCURSION] 'Seoul's Eastern Gateway: Tracing the Evolution of Cheongnyangni' with Jack Greenberg

EXCURSION THEME:
Seoul’s Eastern Gateway: Tracing the Evolution of Cheongnyangni


LEADER: Jack Greenberg


DATE: Saturday, June 28, 2025. 2:00 PM~5:00 PM.


DESTINATION: Cheongnyangni area in Seoul


COST: W25,000 for RAS Korea lifetime and annual members; W30,000 for Non-members


MEETING POINT: In front of the Lotte Department Store entrance on the plaza in front of Cheongnyangni Station (청량리역, #124; Subway Line 1 (exit 4), Suin-Budang Line, and Gyeongui-Jungang Line (exit 1)).


RSVP by June 26 (Thursday) with payment of the fee via bank transfer.

Please register one RSVP at a time.

☞RSVP: https://forms.gle/ZQFE4jF9gBa9H1Pr8

☞Payment to be remitted to the following account:
SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)

*Reservation is not confirmed until payment has been received by RAS Korea in advance of the event.


SUMMARY:


Join us for a walking tour through Cheongnyangni, a historically-layered and rapidly-changing neighborhood that has long served as Seoul’s major eastern gateway. This excursion will explore the area’s evolution as a transportation hub, market district, red-light zone, and site of early public housing.

Cheongnyangni Station is a key node connecting Seoul to Gyeonggi, Gangwon and Gyeongbuk via the Jungang and Gyeongchun lines. This connectivity helped the area grow into a commercial center supported by nearby markets like Cheongnyangni Market, Gyeongdong Market, and the Yangnyeong (medicinal herb) Market, where mountain herbs and produce flowed into the city. The station is also home to a 1938 Inspection Depot, a semi-circular railcar repair garage.

We’ll begin by visiting the former site of Cheongnyangni 588, once one of Seoul’s best-known red-light districts. We’ll discuss the pressures that drove the area’s redevelopment and how the sex trade has evolved since 588’s closure, including its shift to less visible or digital forms and the impact on the women involved. Next, we take a brief look at the Miju Apartments, once used by Gyeongseong Imperial University, and then stop to discuss the former site of Cheongnyangni Psychiatric Hospital, Korea’s first mental institution. Although demolished in 2024, we will look at photos and discuss its role in Korea’s mental healthcare history. Then, we’ll explore the market’s back alleys to consider what traces of the past remain in the urban fabric.

We’ll also examine the city’s early public housing projects. In 1955, Seoul built 50 “revival housing” units here, later expanded by the Korea Housing Corporation. Though many have been renovated, their layout and form remain relatively unchanged, offering insight into how working-class families adapted their living spaces over decades. The walk will end in another market section, where we discuss recent efforts to revitalize the area and attract younger visitors. While younger families have moved to new apartments, Cheongnyangni still has one of Seoul’s highest concentrations of elderly residents, many of whom live alone with limited support. As traditional markets decline and redevelopment displaces longtime residents, poverty and isolation have become more visible.

Throughout the tour, we will explore how history, memory, and urban change intersect in this often overlooked corner of Seoul, while considering broader stories of development and displacement.

** If time allows or if participants are interested, the excursion may be extended to Yongdu-dong.

This walking excursion will set off at 2:00 pm from Cheongnyangni Station Plaza in front of the Lotte Department Store Entrance. The excursion will last until about 5:00 and end close to Jegi-dong Station (Subway Line 1). Participants may join Jack afterwards for a coffee or an early dinner (not included in the excursion fee) nearby. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

You may also like the following events from Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch:

• Next Saturday, 14th June, 02:00 pm, [EXCURSION] "East of Gwanghuimun: Alleyways, Forests and Gentrification" with Matt VanVolkenburg in Seoul

Also check out other Workshops in Seoul, Meetups in Seoul, Nonprofit events in Seoul.