Gangnam District uses smart LED lighting to bring royal history to life
Summary
Gangnam District has opened smart LED streetlights along a 3-kilometer stretch between Seonjeongneung Station and Bongeunsa Station in southern Seoul. The Seonjeongneung-Bongeunsa Historical and Cultural Street of Light began operating Sept. 14 with 107 LED landscape lights and 59 image projectors. The district said the project highlights royal and Buddhist heritage while improving pedestrian safety. It also plans further upgrades to the corridor from 2027.
Key Facts
- The lighting runs along both sides of a 1.5-kilometer one-way route on Bongeunsa-ro.
- Seonjeongneung is a UNESCO World Heritage site containing the tombs of King Seongjong, Queen Jeonghyeon and King Jungjong.
- The street lamps use an in-house Seonjeongneung symbol and can change colors for seasons and holidays such as Buddha’s Birthday and Christmas.
- Gangnam District plans to link the corridor to nearby Coex and gradually upgrade sidewalks, green space and visitor amenities starting in 2027.
The new LED street lighting is lit along a 3-kilometer stretch between Seonjeongneung Station and Bongeunsa Station in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. Courtesy of Gangnam District Office
Gangnam District in southern Seoul has unveiled new smart LED streetlights along a 3-kilometer stretch connecting Seonjeongneung Station and Bongeunsa Station, transforming an ordinary evening stroll into an illuminated journey through the area's rich royal and Buddhist heritage, local officials said Monday.
The "Seonjeongneung-Bongeunsa Historical and Cultural Street of Light" runs along both sides of a 1.5-kilometer one-way route on Bongeunsa-ro. It began operating Sept. 14, with 107 LED landscape lights and 59 image projectors installed along the sidewalks.
Seonjeongneung, a UNESCO World Heritage site, holds the tombs of Joseon Dynasty King Seongjong, his consort Queen Jeonghyeon and King Jungjong.
Nearby Bongeunsa is a centuries-old Buddhist temple that historically served as a royal mortuary temple tied to the dynasty's tombs. Rather than simply replacing aging streetlights, the district said it designed the lighting to reflect the historical character of both sites while improving pedestrian safety.
The street lamps feature a Seonjeongneung symbol the district developed in-house, connecting the three royal tombs with flowing lines meant to link their historical context to the modern city's road network.
The lights can shift colors to mark the seasons and holidays such as Buddha's Birthday and Christmas. The 59 image projectors cast graphic icons representing Seonjeongneung and Bongeunsa's symbol onto the pavement, so pedestrians encounter both sites' imagery as they walk the route.
The district plans to further develop the corridor as a pedestrian-friendly historical axis, linking it to nearby locations such as the Coex convention and shopping complex, and to gradually upgrade sidewalks, green space and visitor amenities starting in 2027.
"We hope this street connecting Seonjeongneung and Bongeunsa becomes both a safe nighttime walking space and a new urban landscape that reflects Gangnam's historical identity," Gangnam District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said, adding the district aims to boost nighttime tourism and extend visitor stays to benefit local businesses.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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