Bukjeong Village

Bukjeong Village is one of the last remaining villages within the Four Great Gates of Seoul, often referred to as a hillside village or 'moon village.' The village has a large oval shape. It is adjacent to the city wall, preserving the appearance of a moon village that formed around the fortress wall. Originally, the Hanyangdoseong fortress prohibited residential development within a certain range inside and outside the wall. In particular, due to the fortress's construction along the contours of the inner four mountains, building houses faced significant topographical constraints. However, urbanization during the Japanese colonial period and around the Korean War led to a rapid population increase and housing shortage in Seoul, prompting people to build houses leaning against the fortress wall. Bukjeong Village is a village where people who flocked to Seoul cut and raised the rough land to build their own homes and became neighbors gathered in alleys. Seongbuk-dong, outside the restricted area viewed from the mountain, is lined with houses and apartments. However, Bukjeong Village, which has been subject to development restrictions due to the Hanyangdoseong, remains a humble moon village. Bukjeong Village is also famous for housing 'Simujang,' the home of Manhae Han Yong-un, a renowned independence activist. Additionally, 'Bukjeong Museum of Art' and the adjacent 'Bukjeong Cafe' add to the village's atmosphere. The unique landscape of Bukjeong Village, integrated with the fortress wall and hilly terrain over a long period, has itself become a heritage that, along with the Hanyangdoseong, must be preserved and maintained.

(Source: Seoul Future Heritage website)