An aerial rendering of "Yeouideuljpan," a central lawn area featured in "Yeouido Park We Grow Together," the winning entry in the Yeouido Park redesign competition. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
An aerial rendering of "Yeouideuljpan," a central lawn area featured in "Yeouido Park We Grow Together," the winning entry in the Yeouido Park redesign competition. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Yeouido Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, is set to be reborn as the city's premier cultural park, linking the Second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the Han River and the Saetgang stream into a single connected space. Residents will be able to enjoy world-class cultural and arts programming from the Second Sejong Center while relaxing on park stands and lawns, with views of the Han River and the natural ecology of the Saetgang.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government held an award ceremony Tuesday at Seoul Gallery, located in the basement of Seoul City Hall, to announce the winner of the Yeouido Park redesign competition and unveil five prize-winning entries. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, award recipients and about 150 professionals from landscape architecture, design and related fields attended the ceremony.

Yeouido Park opened in January 1999, and nearly three decades on, much of its infrastructure has aged. Concerns have also been consistently raised that the park divides the Yeouido area into disconnected eastern and western halves, leaving it poorly integrated with the surrounding urban fabric.

The redesign project goes beyond a simple renovation. Tied to the construction of the Second Sejong Center, it aims to transform the Yeouido area into a new cultural and tourism hub for Seoul. The core vision is to dissolve the boundary between the Second Sejong Center and the park, establish a green pedestrian corridor linking the Han River and the Saetgang, and create an open cultural space at the heart of the park where performances, festivals and civic events can be held year-round.

An aerial rendering of "Yeouido Park We Grow Together," the winning entry in the Yeouido Park redesign competition. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
An aerial rendering of "Yeouido Park We Grow Together," the winning entry in the Yeouido Park redesign competition. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The design competition called for preserving the existing ecological environment as much as possible while breaking down the boundary between the city and the park and reconnecting Yeouido Park with the adjacent Saetgang Park, which had long been cut off. The plan also expands the surrounding pedestrian network to improve access and connectivity.

The winning entry, "Yeouido Park We Grow Together," was submitted by a joint team comprising Saram-gwa Namu, JW Landscape and architecture firm Hyeobdongwon. The design earned high marks for creativity, feasibility and integration with the surrounding urban environment. It uses hills and ponds to naturally bridge the elevation difference near the Second Sejong Center, while the broad central lawn is to become "Yeouideuljpan" — an open field hosting performances, festivals and civic events throughout the year.

The ecological forest within Yeouido Park will be extended into a single green corridor connecting to Saetgang Park. The pedestrian flow from the Second Sejong Center through the park to the Han River will also be strengthened, allowing residents and tourists to experience culture, nature and waterfront spaces together.

Ten teams entered the competition. Five were selected after an initial screening, and the final winner was chosen through presentation evaluations and in-depth deliberations by a panel of experts.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon delivers a congratulatory address at the award ceremony for the Second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts design competition, held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 10 last year. [Newsis]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon delivers a congratulatory address at the award ceremony for the Second Sejong Center for the Performing Arts design competition, held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Nov. 10 last year. [Newsis]

Yeouido Park was developed on the site of the former Yeouido Airfield and Yeouido Plaza before opening in its current form in 1999. For 27 years it has been one of Seoul's most beloved spaces for rest and leisure, but calls have grown to restructure the park in line with the area's expanding commercial and residential functions. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government ran an international design competition over roughly 80 days to gather a wide range of ideas suited to Yeouido's urban standing and future direction.

The city will begin preliminary and detailed design work based on the winning entry and tie the effort to the Second Sejong Center construction starting next year. To minimize disruption to residents, construction will proceed in phases over three years, with the redesigned park set to reopen in the first half of 2030.

All five prize-winning entries, including the winner, will be on display in the first-floor lobby of Seoul City Hall's main building for one week starting Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will incorporate public feedback gathered at the exhibition into the design and park development process going forward.

"The redesign of Yeouido Park is not simply about refreshing an aging park — it is the starting point for completing the future of Yeouido as an international city by connecting the Second Sejong Center with the Han River and the Saetgang," Mayor Oh said. "We will create a world-class park where culture, nature and the rhythms of daily life come together, and in doing so realize Seoul as a 'special city for quality of life' where residents feel the change in their everyday lives."


ikson@heraldcorp.com