Bukjeong Village

Bukjeong Village is one of the last remaining neighborhoods within the Four Great Gates of Seoul, often referred to as a hillside village or 'moon village.' The village has a large oval shape. It is adjacent to the city wall, preserving the appearance of a moon village that formed around the fortress wall. Originally, the Hanyangdoseong (Seoul City Wall) prohibited residential areas within a certain range inside and outside the wall. In particular, due to the nature of the fortress built along the contours of the inner four mountains, there were many topographical restrictions on building houses. However, urbanization during the Japanese colonial period and around the Korean War led to a rapid population increase and housing shortage in Seoul, and people began to build houses leaning against the fortress wall. Bukjeong Village is a village where people who flocked to Seoul cut and raised the rough land, built their own houses, and gathered in alleys to become neighbors. Except for the restricted area viewed from the mountain, Seongbuk-dong is lined with houses and apartments. However, Bukjeong Village, which has been subject to development restrictions due to the Hanyangdoseong, remains a humble moon village. Bukjeong Village is also famous for housing 'Simujang,' the former home of Manhae Han Yong-un, a renowned independence activist. In addition, 'Bukjeong Museum of Art' and the adjacent 'Bukjeong Cafe' add to the village's atmosphere. The unique landscape of Bukjeong Village, integrated with the fortress wall and hilly terrain over a long period, has itself become a heritage that must be preserved and maintained along with the Hanyangdoseong.

(Source: Seoul Future Heritage website)