The Seoul Museum of History has published a new report titled “Suyu-dong: A Slow City, A Living Community”, highlighting the 150-year history of the Suyu area in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul.
The report sheds light on Suyu-dong’s layered past, from 18th-century cherry blossoms to democratization movements and grassroots urban renewal.
The area known as “Suyu-ri” first appeared in records in 1865 during King Gojong’s reign. Though its official designation changed to Suyu-dong in 1950, the name “Suyu-ri” is still widely used today, largely due to its association with key historical landmarks like the April 19th National Cemetery and Academy House.
The report reveals that Suyu-dong, not Yeouido, was the original cherry blossom hotspot in Seoul. In the 1700s, government official Hong Yang-ho imported hundreds of cherry blossom trees from Japan via Joseon envoys and planted them around his villa in the area. This helped make Suyu-dong and neighboring Ui-dong famous for their spring blossoms by the Japanese colonial era.
Suyu-dong also became a symbolic site of modern Korean history. The April 19th National Cemetery, located there, honors 199 victims of the 1960 April Revolution. Though initially planned for Namsan, the cemetery was relocated to Suyu-dong in 1963. In 1995, it was expanded and officially designated a national cemetery.
Academy House, built in the 1970s by the Korean Christian Academy with German funding, played a critical role in South Korea’s democratization. It hosted numerous political dialogues, including meetings between future presidents Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam, and Kim Jong-pil. The facility closed in 2019 due to financial issues.
Today, Suyu-dong continues to serve as a model for community-driven urban development. Rather than large-scale redevelopment, it has embraced grassroots cooperation, with local co-ops establishing spaces like the Bukhan Mountain Ecological Park and the Su-yu Silver Yard. Programs like “Monday Senior Meals” have fostered intergenerational bonds and strengthened community ties.
Seoul Museum of History Director Choi Byung-koo emphasized, “Records are tools for designing the city’s future,” calling Suyu-dong a living example of community-based urban practice.
The full report is available for purchase on the Seoul Bookstore website and will be freely accessible as an e-book via the Seoul History Archive.
