Refurbished Seoul Trail offers visitors unique way to see city sights

The Seoul Trail is a 156.5-kilometer (97-mile) route that circles the city. It opened in 2014 and was redivided from eight segments to 21 in April.

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center pose for a photo at the Metasequoia Road in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

A dozen international students gathered on a rainy yet pleasant Thursday for a walk through two major parks in western Seoul, exploring the recently renovated Seoul Trail.

The Seoul Trail is a 156.5-kilometer (97-mile) route that circles the city. It opened in 2014 and was redivided from eight segments to 21 in April, making the routes more accessible and easier to complete. Hiking each segment takes anywhere from 2 hours and 10 minutes to 4 hours and 50 minutes.

In an exciting opportunity, international students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center trekked along a part of the 7.7-kilometer-long Route 15 on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday's course featured climbing multiple staircases and passing through diverse scenery filled with trees and plants, passing through two parks — Oil Tank Culture Park and Haneul Park — in Mapo District, western Seoul.

Accompanied by tour guides from the Seoul Alpine Federation, the students gathered at Oil Tank Culture Park on Thursday afternoon, kicking off the tour with a quick history lesson about the space.

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center listen to tour guide Kang In-cheol, sixth from left, speak at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The park was originally a fuel reserve base, where the late Park Chung Hee administration stored around 67 million tons of oil in the 1970s in response to the first global oil shock. The 140,000-square-meter (35-acre) park — equivalent to the size of 22 football fields — was closed to the public for 41 years before public access was allowed in 2017. “Time passed by, and it wasn’t useful anymore,” said tour guide Kang In-cheol as he explained how the place used to be restricted to civilian personnel. With the construction of Seoul World Cup Stadium in the nearby vicinity for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, the area was classified as hazardous and was closed in November 2000.

The facility was later converted into a temporary parking lot and left abandoned for over a decade. Under late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's urban regeneration policy, it was remodeled into a cultural space and opened to the public in September 2017.

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center pose for a photo at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

“If I came here alone, I will just walk like a tourist,” said Harshita Pandey, 24, from India. “But now I can go to know about this place and why it's popular, and about the history of this place.”

Instead of completely remodeling the facility, some of the oil tanks were kept and renovated to serve as cultural spaces where people can enjoy music or other exhibitions. The towering tanks and buildings were placed on the lush green hills that surround a large open space in the middle, creating a harmonious contrast of urban structures coexisting with nature.

Starting from the oil reserve-turned-park, the students trekked along the trail, which showed other instances of the juxtaposition between urban development and nature.

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center walk along the Metasequoia Road in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Moving along the trails and into the nearby World Cup Park, the students were met by another long trail with trees lining both sides.

The mercury in Seoul remained at a slightly chilly 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, making the hike pleasant, although the skies were cloudy.

“I was actually a little concerned,” said Loo Liang-yee, 21, from Malaysia. “It’s cloudy, and raining a little bit, but they gave us raincoats — which stole my heart,” he said in jest, complimenting the event on how well it was organized and prepared.

The group’s laughter was heard through the light drizzle as the members took numerous pictures along the Metasequoia Road, a long trail that runs alongside the Gangbyeon Expressway, which connects western and eastern Seoul.

The seemingly endless display of flaming orange foliage alongside the trail prompted gasps of awe from many of the students.

"It’s really pretty,” said Aria Dandois, 24, from Belgium. “This is more of a walk, and I’m excited to see what more will happen.”

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center climb a flight of stairs in World Cup Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

After the students climbed a long flight of stairs at the end of the trail, the group stepped into Haneul Park where a field of reeds and eulalia plants blowing in the autumn breeze spread out in front of the students.

The students were also granted a scenic overview of Seoul at dusk when they stepped onto the observatory at the edge of the park. The group excitedly posed for photos, with the city on one side and the natural scenery on the other.

Haneul Park, which opened in 2002, is part of World Cup Park. It was originally a waste burial site, where around 92 million tons of waste accumulated until 1993 when it was closed down. Called Nanjido, the pile of garbage at the time of its closure reached 90 meters above sea level.

The city began constructing the park in 2001 as part of an urban renewal project.

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center pose for a photo at Haneul Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center walk along a trail at Haneul Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

International students from Sungkyunkwan University’s Korean Language Center pose for a photo at Haneul Park in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

“Mostly when you go on tours, they only do the easy part and then they don't really show you everything,” said Fatemah Nazari, 20, a business administration student from Iran. “But with this tour, you can see everything, and they also give you time to take photos.”

Nazari said that she plans to check out the other parts of the Seoul Trail, adding that she was impressed with the program.

More tours along the Seoul Trail are planned, especially for foreign visitors.

The trails, which officially opened on Nov. 15, 2014, are continuously developed based on visitor feedback. Walking festivals are held regularly to encourage Seoulites to enjoy the city's natural beauty.

Bang Jae-hyung, tour guide and team leader of the Korea Alpine Federation, said this was the city’s third program for international students.

“People from different walks of life come together for the tour,” said Bang. “But the commonality is that they all smile when they feel content. I hope programs like these can introduce Korean culture and act as a conduit for people to know each other better.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]