Seoul to reopen car-free street at Daehangno

An instructor teaches girls how to skateboard as part of street events held last year at Daehangno in Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

By Kim Jae-heun

Thirty years ago, Seoul's Daehangno area was a popular street where people gathered to enjoy the evening as the road was closed on weekends for various events.

In remembrance of this, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said Tuesday that it will bring back those days this Sunday by restricting vehicles there from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow performances to take place from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The car-free events began in May 1985 on both Saturday and Sunday, and people came out to watch street shows and drink together.

This carried on for four years until October 1989, when a neighboring road underwent reconstruction and cars had to detour through Daehangno.

Under the slogan of "Again 1989!" the city government will sponsor events in five different sections of the street where participants can eat and drink as they experience them.

In the first section, two very different street shows will take place.

"Gong Ki Gyul," a nonverbal performance, will bring the sounds of traditional Korean farmers' music played on traditional fiddles, flutes and drums. In another nonverbal performance, "Painters," artists will paint pieces using a variety of techniques with lively music playing in the background.

Both performances are high-octane shows being promoted by the local government as part of its project to attract global tourists for the upcoming 2019 Welcome Daehangno festival in September.

People dance in a circle in this photo taken back in the 1980s during a street festival held in Daehangno, Seoul. / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

In the second section with the concept of "retro," magic shows, street theater and a fashion show with participants wearing outfits from the 1980s and 1990s will be presented.

People can take retro fashion photos and play old games including Korean hopscotch and ttakjichigi, a game similar to "pogs" played with folded paper tiles.

The third section offers handicraft workshops.

American street clothing brand Vans will run a skating class for women in the fourth section. Participants can also join a workshop to design their own grip tape for skateboards with stencil artist Jogo.

The last section offers a walking event in which 1,000 people are expected to stroll the 2.9 kilometers from Daehangno to Naksan Park.

"This car-free event that reopens after 30 years will allow artists to meet there with various people and communicate with them while providing art spaces for residents to experience," a city official said. "We hope people will enjoy their weekend on foot."

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