Ttukseom

Ttukseom—once a sandy spit on the Hangang River where Korea’s kings went to fire off arrows. Then a busy trading post for river merchants. Then a center of urban industry. Now, the peninsula is home to the sprawling greenness of Seoul Forest, one of the city’s most important natural spaces, which, unbelievably, was designed in 2003 and opened only in mid- 2005. Its southern, western and northern shores are lined with cycle paths, while the southern shore doubles as the bank of the Hangang River and forms one of the key sect ions of the Hangang River Park. Once beloved by Seoulites as a place to relax and play, Ttukseom is now breaking through the hangover brought upon it by half a century of breakneck urbanization and industrial development, and becoming a place to enjoy clean water and fresh air once again.

Royal Hunting Ground Indays when the Hangang was as temperamental as any normal Korean river, Ttukseom was a wide, sandy plain, prone to flooding. It owed its existence to sedimentation from the Hangang and Jungnangcheon, and remained under their seasonal influence. Records tell how Ttukseom—which lay well outside Seoul’s city walls—was a favorite hunting ground of kings from the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty (1392—1910). Whenever the king visited, a special flag called a “dok” would be raised. The name “Ttukseom” is thought to come f rom a combinat ion of “ t tuk”—an alternative pronunciation of “dok”—and “seom,” which means “island.” Though several old maps depict Ttukseom as an island, the slim channel of wa t e r tha t l inked the Hang ang and Jungnangcheon to form the eastern edge of the island as late as the early 20th century has now vanished without a trace. Ttukseom was also the site of a ferry crossing connecting it with what is now the area near Cheongdam-dong in Gangnam—like many of the Hangang’s ferry points, this has now been replaced with a bridge in more or less the same place. There was also a tax collection point that imposed a levy of 10% on all consignments of timber coming down the river from the eastern province of Gangwon-do. From the 1950s, Ttukseom was developed into an industrial zone and was no longer any use as a hunting ground for anyone.

A New Forest At the beginning of the 21st century, the amount of green space in inner city Seoul came to an average of 4.77 square meters per citizen. This was well below the level stipulated by Korea’s own laws on urban parks and green space (six square meters per citizen), let alone the level recommended by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization (nine square meters). Seoul Forest was conceived as an important addition to help boost the capital’s green space to an acceptable level, especially in the industrial northeast of the city. The most striking thing about Seoul Forest is that it does not feel like a place created from scratch barely five years ago. This is thanks in part to the tall metasequoia and other mature trees that existed before the forest was created and were integrated into the new plan. Seoul Metropol i tan Government works actively to keep the flow of visitors to Seoul Forest increasing, with a variety of participatory programs. “I think the high levels of civic participation are what sets Seoul Forest apart from major parks in other countries,” says An Gye-dong, CEO of Dongsimwon, the landscape design company that planned Seoul Forest. “In a few decades, when everything has had more time to grow, I think it will be every bit as good as somewhere like New York’s Central Park.” The forest is too large and contains far too many attractions to begin listing here; the only two pieces of advice worth giving are to look at the we b s i t e i f y o u f e e l y o u ne e d mo r e information or, better still, to go there for yourself, preferably any time from late spring onward. The fountain square is a hit with young kids in summer, while other highlights include the Eco Forest, with its resident deer—a wide area strewn with sculptures among the trees, an insect garden and much more. Water Works Just outside the eastern edge of Seoul Forest is the small but interesting Waterworks Museum. Housed in an early modern building that dates from 1907, when two Americans won the right to build Seoul’s first waterworks, the museum charts the development of the city’s water supply through its years of rapid growth. The figures are s tar t l ing: through per iods when Seoul ’s population sometimes grew by an average of 300,000 people every year, the city still managed to increase water supply from 60% of 2.4 million people in 1960 to 99.9% of 10.3 million in 2006. There is hardly any information in English, but the museum building and its exhibits are worth a quick look (there is no entrance fee) on the way east from Seoul Forest toward Ttukseom Resort and beyond. Ttukseom Resort The Hangang has long since been tamed, running wide and flat between concrete levees. Ttukseom is no exception, and walkers or cyclists can follow the wide cycle path that leads along the bank in ei ther direct ion, including a diversion northeast up Jungnangcheon. Heading east from Seoul Forest takes you past the Waterworks Museum and on to Ttukseom Resort. If a shady stroll is what you're after, be warned that the riverside path is totally exposed to the elements and offers minimal shade. Occasional middle-aged men ride past on bikes laden with fishing rods or sit in the shade of a concrete column playing cards. The resort lies just east of the towering loop roads that lead up to the Cheongdam Bridge, and features a variety of swimming pools and water slides that get jam-packed in the hot months of summer. Beyond is the Ttukseom section of Hangang River Park, with various sports grounds, a windsurfing center, a climbing wall, and opportunities to rent bicycles, pedal boats and Jet Skis. Giant Worm Another new arrival lurking beneath the bridge is the J-Bug, a giant , raised inchworm- l ike structure that contains cafés, a restaurant, and a photo exhibition showing scenes from Ttukseom in the late 1950s. “I’ve lived on Ttukseom since I was discharged from the Marines in 1956,” says Lee Hae-young as he wanders around the exhibition. "My children still live here—they’re all over 50 now. The water was very clean then. People came and washed their clothes at the riverbank, and the local restaurants all drew water from the river." He points across the river to the south bank, where high rise apartments dominate the skyl ine. "There used to be mountains and orchards there, before it got developed," he says. Ttukseom is an interesting place to walk around for a glimpse of how Seoul’s older urban industrial areas rub shoulders with regenerative projects such as Seoul Fores t and the local sec t ion of the Hangang River Park. Don’t feel obliged to stick to the prescribed network of paths, although you’ll probably still enjoy it if you do. And why not try arriving or leaving there by ferry, from or to Yeouido, to remind yourself that Ttukseom is all about rivers and boats after all?

Places to Eat Daeseong Galbi is recommended by some for its grilled marinated pork and good side dishes. Ttukseom Station, Line 2, Exit 8. Head straight, go over the large crossroads, and take the first left thereafter. The restaurant is down here on the right. T. (02) 464-3012. Family Kalguksu & Bossam boasts kalguksu, mandu and bossam recipes handed down through two generations. Ttukseom Station, Line 2, Exit 1. Go straight for 50m. T. (02) 463-5036. For a wider choice of restaurants, carry on eastwards along the riverside path to Gangbyeon, or take the subway from Ttukseom or Ttukseom Resort Station to Konkuk University Station, Lines 2 & 7.

- The article courtesy of Seoul magazine