The honorary street name "Baejae Hakdang-gil" is designated in Jeongdong to mark the 140th anniversary of Baejae Hakdang's founding — covering a 312-meter stretch of Seosomunno 11-gil, with signage to be installed this month
Seoul's Jung-gu district (district mayor Kim Gil-sung) will designate the honorary street name "Baejae Hakdang-gil" in the Jeongdong area to mark the 140th anniversary of Baejae Hakdang's founding.
Baejae Hakdang-gil is Jung-gu's fifth honorary street name, created to promote the historical and cultural significance of Jeongdong — the birthplace of modern education in Korea.
Baejae Hakdang was established in 1885 by American missionary Henry Appenzeller as Korea's first Western-style modern educational institution. The Jeongdong neighborhood that grew around it served as a hub of education, diplomacy and religion during the enlightenment era and is widely regarded as a pivotal stage in Korea's modern history.
Baejae Hakdang-gil covers a 312-meter stretch of Seosomunno 11-gil, running from No. 1 to No. 54. The honorary street name is valid through June 2031 — a five-year term — with the possibility of extension.
The district conducted a public comment process from April through May, then secured final approval through a May address information committee review. Signage is set to be installed this month so residents and visitors can easily identify the street.
Jung-gu operates an honorary street name program to commemorate figures and institutions of significant historical and cultural importance. Currently designated streets include "Udang Yi Hoe-yeong-gil," honoring independence activist Yi Hoe-yeong; "UNESCO-gil," recognizing the work of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO; and "Jeon Tae-il Pyeonghwa Sijang-gil," carrying the spirit of labor rights martyr Jeon Tae-il.
Last year, the district designated "Yi Sun-sin-gil" around the site of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's birthplace to mark the 480th anniversary of his birth.
Through these designations, Jung-gu has worked to elevate the historical and cultural standing of Admiral Yi's birthplace and to use honorary street names as cultural tourism assets tied to the district's history.
"Establishing Baejae Hakdang-gil, following Yi Sun-sin-gil, is part of our effort to remember and carry forward Jung-gu's historical assets within the urban fabric," district mayor Kim said. "We will continue to promote the historical assets unique to Jung-gu and foster a greater sense of pride in our community."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
