Seoul's Nowon-gu completes extension of Gyeongchun Line Forest Path

Seoul's Nowon-gu completed construction of an extension to the Gyeongchun Line Forest Path — connecting Nokcheon Middle School in Wolgye-dong to the pedestrian overpass at Gwangwoon University Station — and opened the full route to residents Monday.

The district has also organized cultural events to draw more visitors to the forest path. The Gyeongchun Gongneung Forest Path Coffee Festival, now in its fourth year, has established itself as one of Nowon-gu's signature festivals. This year's edition featured 141 booths with participants from 16 countries.

The newly completed extension stretches approximately 870 meters and was built on idle railway land. With its addition, the Gyeongchun Line Forest Path now forms a continuous 6.8-kilometer green corridor running from Wolgye-dong through Gongneung-dong to Hwarangdae.

At the far end of the extension, atop the Gyeongchun Railway Bridge, a waterside cafe called Gyeongchunmaru — designed to evoke the shape of an actual train — is set to open officially in July. It will be the district's fourth waterside cafe, following Dumulmaru, Danghyeonmaru and Uimaru, and will include a cafe space and a photo zone dedicated to the history of the Gyeongchun Line.

The extension also connects the forest path to the Gwangwoon University transit-oriented development zone, a key future growth corridor for Nowon. The Gyeongchun Line Forest Path was created by transforming a section of the old Gyeongchun railway line, decommissioned in 2010, into a linear park. A park development project launched in 2013 completed an initial stretch of about 6 kilometers in 2017.

"The Gyeongchun Line Forest Path has grown from a space that held memories of an old railway into Nowon's defining green axis — one that connects culture, leisure and the city of the future," district mayor Oh Seung-rok said. "I hope it continues to become a world-class forest path where residents find new joy and rest with every step."