New 'Olympic Walking Trail' course opens Tuesday, linking 1988 Seoul Olympics sculptures and Joseon-era tombs; four existing guided walking tour routes also remain popular
Songpa-gu in Seoul announced that its guided walking tour program — in which cultural heritage docents lead participants through the district's history, nature and culture — is drawing strong interest from residents and visitors alike.
The program connects Hanseong Baekje-era sites such as the Pungnap Earthen Ramparts and Mongchon Earthen Ramparts with modern landmarks including Lotte World Tower and the Olympic Stadium, offering a tour route designed to showcase the full appeal of Songpa. The docents' in-depth commentary has earned enthusiastic responses from residents and visitors every year.
This year, on top of the existing routes, the district has developed a brand-new course — the "Olympic Walking Trail" — linking the rich historical and cultural resources around Olympic Park with world-class sculptural artworks, making its debut this season.
The newly added Olympic Walking Trail is an approximately 2.5-kilometer walking course running from the Hanseong Baekje Museum to Olympic Park Station. Going well beyond a simple stroll through the park, the route weaves together stories from the Joseon Dynasty with the jubilation of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The guided commentary begins at the Hanseong Baekje Museum and proceeds through five stops: the sculpture "Dialogue," which illuminates the value of communication and conversation; the tomb of Kim Gu, posthumously honored as Chungheon-gong, who helped restore the deposed Joseon prince Nosan-gun to his rightful title of King Danjong; a centuries-old pine tree known as Jeongipomsong Jangjamok, tied to the story of Joseon King Sejo; the concrete sculpture "88 Seoul Olympics," embodying the joy of victory; and the bronze sculpture "Thumb," a landmark work of new realism.
The district said it hopes the walking tours will deepen participants' affection for the area where they live and offer a new experience of cultivating humanistic sensibility amid urban nature.
The Olympic Walking Trail runs from Tuesday through Dec. 31.
Three existing popular routes also continue to operate on a regular basis: Course 1, the Pungnap Earthen Ramparts Trail (2.6 kilometers, from Pungnap Neighborhood Park to the East Wall Park); Course 2, the Mongchon Earthen Ramparts Trail (3.5 kilometers, from the Gate of Peace to the Baekje House Site Exhibition Hall); and Course 4, the Seokchon-dong Ancient Tombs Trail (3.1 kilometers, from Lotte World Mall to Seokchon Market). Course 3, the Hanseong Baekje Museum Trail (2.6 kilometers, from the Hanseong Baekje Museum to the Bangi-dong Ancient Tombs), is scheduled to resume in December.
Each course takes approximately two hours. Anyone wishing to participate can register in advance through the Seoul Metropolitan Government's public reservation service. For more information, contact Songpa-gu's Tourism Promotion Division by phone.
"Olympic Park is both a legacy of the Olympics and a defining landmark of Songpa where history and art breathe together," Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "I hope visitors will directly experience Songpa's natural environment and cultural heritage through the docents' expert and engaging storytelling, and enjoy a journey filled with the district's many charms."
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