Landscape lighting to be installed at 19 key buildings and streetscapes in Jeong-dong, including Jeongdong First Methodist Church, Jungmyeongjeon Hall and the former Russian legation
Seoul's Jung-gu district will keep Jeong-dong — the city's premier neighborhood of modern and contemporary heritage — lit up year-round after dark, the district office announced.
The district plans to install landscape lighting at 19 historic buildings in Jeong-dong, transforming the area into a signature nighttime destination and a showcase of light in Seoul.
As a first step, the district launched the Jeong-dong Landscape Improvement Public-Private Council on Thursday, bringing together residents, merchants and representatives of cultural and religious institutions in the neighborhood. Working with the council, the district intends to illuminate distinctive buildings and public spaces to heighten Jeong-dong's appeal.
Jeong-dong is home to 23 historical and cultural assets, including Deoksugung Palace, embassies from multiple countries and a concentration of modern and contemporary architecture — making Jeong-dong-gil itself something of an open-air museum. While the area draws large numbers of residents and tourists during the day, who stroll along its stone-wall lanes past stately old buildings, the streets fall dark at night and their vitality quickly fades.
Jung-gu is now moving to improve the nighttime landscape so visitors can experience Jeong-dong's charm after dark as well. The plan is to preserve the neighborhood's quiet, contemplative atmosphere while using lighting to highlight the character and stories of its historic buildings, and to improve the pedestrian environment so the area becomes a comfortable nighttime walking destination.
The 19 sites include Jeongdong First Methodist Church, Jungmyeongjeon Hall within Deoksugung, the former Russian legation, the Baejaehakdang History Museum, the National Theater of Korea Jeongdong, the Shina Ilbo annex building and the stone-wall lanes of Ewha Girls' High School and Yewon School.
The district held the council's inaugural ceremony at Jeongdong First Methodist Church on Thursday. A total of 26 institutions, along with representatives of residents and merchants, are participating in the council. About 40 people attended, including Jung-gu District Mayor Kim Gil-sung, Hwang Seon-yeop — chair of the Seoul Jeong-dong Council and director of the Salvation Army History Museum — merchant representative Yun Eui-sik, Sogong-dong residents' autonomous committee chair Kang U-jong and Jung-gu neighborhood association council chair Nam Sul-jin.
Going forward, the district and the council will gather on-the-ground input to refine the project's plans. They will consult with the Cultural Heritage Administration, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and other relevant agencies on required procedures, and will explore funding options. The district also plans to incorporate the views of residents and merchants so the project balances Jeong-dong's historical value with the needs of local commerce and community life. By 2028, the district aims to complete a nighttime economy ecosystem encompassing landscape lighting, walking tour routes and commercial revitalization.
"Jeong-dong is a special place filled with buildings and cultural resources that carry the weight of modern history, but that charm has been hidden at night," District Mayor Kim said. "By joining forces with the public-private council to bring light to Jeong-dong's history and romance after dark, we will make it Seoul's premier nighttime destination — a place where everyone feels safe to walk and linger."
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