My Personal Environmental History of Yongsan-gu
July 11, 2024 By: Jinsu Kim
I live in Yongsan-gu, a district located in the heart of Seoul, South Korea. The name “Yongsan” means “Dragon Mountain,” reflecting the hilly terrain that once characterized much of the area. As I explore the environmental history of my neighborhood through the experiences of my family across three generations, I’m struck by how dramatically this landscape has been transformed over the decades.
My grandfather’s story begins in pre-war Yongsan. Even before the Korean War, the natural environment of Yongsan had already been significantly altered. During the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), Yongsan served as a major military installation, with arsenals and weapons factories. This early industrialization had already taken a toll on the area’s natural landscapes.
When the Korean War broke out in 1950, my grandfather, who was living in Yongsan at the time, was drafted into the army. The war had a devastating impact on Yongsan. Both North and South Korean forces, recognizing the strategic importance of the area’s military facilities, targeted Yongsan heavily. The district was subjected to intense bombing and fighting, leaving much of it in ruins.
After the war, my grandfather spent ten years in Daegu, a city in the south, before returning to his hometown of Yongsan. When he came back, he found a drastically changed landscape. The house and neighborhood where he had grown up had been completely obliterated by the war. The once-familiar streets and landmarks were gone, replaced by the scars of conflict and the beginnings of post-war reconstruction.
Despite the devastation, my grandfather chose to rebuild his life in Yongsan. He married my grandmother here, and it was in this recovering urban landscape that my father was born. The Yongsan of my father’s childhood was a place of rapid change and development. As the heart of the capital city, Yongsan experienced intense urbanization during Korea’s period of industrial growth.
The natural environments that had once characterized Yongsan – the forests, streams, and diverse ecosystems – were largely lost to urban development. My father grew up with little exposure to nature within Yongsan itself. His main experiences of green space came from occasional trips to Namsan, the mountain on the northern edge of the district. Namsan remained one of the few significant areas of greenery in the increasingly concrete-dominated urban landscape.
By the time I was born, Yongsan and the surrounding areas of Seoul had become a sprawling metropolis. The transformation from the rural and later war-torn landscape of my grandfather’s youth to the hyper-urban environment of my childhood was complete. Green spaces were few and far between, limited to small parks and the ever-present Namsan.
However, the story of Yongsan’s environment isn’t just one of loss. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of urban green spaces and efforts to reintroduce nature into the city. The planned relocation of the U.S. military base in Yongsan has opened up new possibilities for ecological restoration. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced plans to create a large urban park on the former base site, which could significantly increase green space and habitat in the district.
This push for urban greening reflects a broader shift in how we value our environment. While my grandfather’s generation focused on rebuilding and development after the devastation of war, and my father’s generation experienced rapid urbanization with little regard for nature, my generation is increasingly concerned with sustainability and quality of life in urban areas.
Community-led environmental initiatives have also taken root in Yongsan. Urban gardening projects have sprung up in various neighborhoods, providing both green space and opportunities for local food production. These gardens not only improve the urban environment but also help reconnect residents with nature in ways that weren’t possible during my father’s childhood.
The Han River, which forms the southern border of Yongsan-gu, has also seen significant changes. Once heavily polluted by industrial waste and sewage, efforts to improve water quality have been ongoing since the 1980s. The implementation of advanced sewage treatment systems and strict regulations on industrial discharges have led to significant improvements. Today, the Han River is once again becoming a vibrant ecosystem, with fish returning to its waters and migratory birds resting along its banks.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also implemented various measures to improve stormwater management and reduce urban heat island effects. These include the installation of permeable pavements, green roofs, and rain gardens throughout the city, including in Yongsan. These efforts aim to make the urban environment more resilient and livable, addressing some of the environmental challenges created by rapid urbanization.
As I walk through my neighborhood today, I can see traces of its ecological past alongside signs of a more sustainable future. The hills that my grandfather once knew as a child now host high-rise apartments, but community gardens sprout on rooftops and in small plots between buildings. Namsan, which provided a green refuge for my father, continues to be an important green space for the district, now complemented by smaller parks and urban forests.
Yongsan’s environmental history, as seen through my family’s experiences, is a story of dramatic transformation. From the pre-war landscape altered by colonial industrialization, through the devastation of the Korean War, to the intense urbanization of the post-war years, and now to the current efforts at urban greening and sustainability, Yongsan has undergone tremendous changes.
Each generation of my family has experienced a different Yongsan. My grandfather knew it as a place forever changed by war, my father as a rapidly developing urban center with little green space, and I see it as a dense urban area with growing efforts to reintroduce nature into the cityscape.
Looking to the future, Yongsan faces both challenges and opportunities in terms of ecological sustainability. The district’s central location and ongoing redevelopment projects put pressure on remaining green spaces. However, there’s also growing awareness of the importance of urban ecology and increasing efforts to incorporate green infrastructure into new developments.
As we move forward, the challenge will be to continue balancing urban development with ecological preservation and restoration. The goal is to create a Yongsan that honors its history while providing a livable, sustainable environment for future generations. In doing so, we hope to ensure that the “Dragon Mountain” remains a green heart in Seoul’s urban landscape, reconnecting its residents with nature in ways that my grandfather might recognize and my father could only have imagined.