Yeongdeungpo District () is one of the 25 districts of

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, the first two syllables are thought to be from "''yeongdeung''" (靈登) or "divine ascent", a

shamanic Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spiri ...

rite. The third syllable is "''po''", representing the bank of a river (浦), referring to the district's position on the Han River. The 2006 population was 408,819. There are 22 administrative ''dong'' and 34 legal ''dong''.

Yeouido Yeouido (), also Yohido, is a river island on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance, media, and investment banking district. It is large and has a population of 32,674 . The island is located in the Yeongdeungpo Dis ...

-dong is the largest in area and takes up about 34% of the land. The total area is (2004), making up 4% of Seoul's land. The annual budget is approximately 2 billion won. Yeongdeungpo District has been heavily developed as an office, commercial, and residential district. Yeouido Dong is home to DLI 63 Building, the highest office building in South Korea and currently the 3rd tallest building in the country. The National Assembly Building is located in

Yeouido-dong Yeoui-dong () is a '' dong'' (neighborhood) of Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, South Korea. Before 1 July 1980 it was called Yeouido-dong. Attractions * National Assembly of South Korea * Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) * Korean Broadcas ...

. Other organisations, such as the Financial Union of Korea are also based in Yeongdeungpo. There are also mass-media corporations in the area, including Kookmin Newspaper Corporation,

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC; ) is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. Its flagship terrestrial television station MBC TV broadcasts as channel 11. MBC News Now broadcasts as channel 12. Establish ...

, and

Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS; ) is the public broadcasting, national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters under the government of South Korea. The KBS ope ...

History

The earliest historical references to Yeongdeungpo were in the 1870s when it was considered to be the main port used in the defence of the city of Seoul. The opening of the Gyeongin Line in 1899 and the

Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. It is ...

1905, the County Office of Siheung-gun was relocated to Yeongdeungpo and area became a major hub for transportation and commerce. Except for Yeouido and Yanghwa-dong, Yeongdeungpo belonged to old

Siheung County Siheung County, alternatively Shihŭng County was a gun (administrative division), county (''gun'') in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. This county was abolished in 1989 as its one town(읍) of Sorae and two townships(면) of Gunja and Suam became Si ...

. In 1936, Yeongdeungpo (except for today's Daerim-dong) was annexed to Gyeongseong (today's

). In 1949, some parts of Siheung County were ceded to Yeongdeungpo District of Seoul. These sections are today's Guro-dong, Sindorim-dong, Daerim-dong and Sindaebang-dong. It is one of the sub-centers of Seoul, and the Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 passes. Among the areas south of the Han River in present-day Seoul, it was the first (1936) to be incorporated into Seoul. January 1, 1963, Some areas of Bucheon County were combined to Yeongdeungpo District as below. Also, many parts of Siheung County were merged into this district at the same time. During the post-Korean War industrialization period the district's economy and population grew dramatically and as a result sections of the district were broken up to form new districts – Gwanak District being established in 1973, Gangseo-gu in 1977, and Guro District in 1980.

Administration

Administrative divisions

Yeongdeungpo District is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * Dangsan-dong () (divided into Dangsan 1 and 2-dong) * Daerim-dong () (divided into Daerim 1, 2, and 3-dong) * Dorim-dong () (Dorim 1 and 2-dong were combined in September 2008) * Mullae-dong () (divided into Mullae 1 and 2-dong) * Singil-dong () (divided into Singil 1 to 7-dong) * Yangpyeong-dong ()(divided into Yangpyeong 1 and 2-dong) ** Yanghwa-dong ( * Yeongdeungpo-dong () (divided into Yeongdeungpo-dong and Yeongdeungpobon-dong ( *

()

Local government

Yeongdeungpo District office () is located immediately adjacent to Yeongdeungpo District office station on Seoul Metro Line 2.

Economy

For several decades, Yeouido in Yeongdeungpo district has been considered the financial center of Seoul. This reputation was stimulated by the relocation of the Korean main bourse, the Korea Exchange (KRX), from Myeongdong to Yeouido in 1979. Among the 291 head offices of financial institutions located in Seoul, 93 are based in

, Yeongdeungpo. Notably, 42 out of 68 asset management companies and 8 out of 11 futures companies have their head offices in Yeouido. These include Mirae Asset Group, Korea Life Insurance, KDB, Korea Investment Holdings and many more.

Korea Exchange Korea Exchange (KRX, ) is the sole securities exchange operator in South Korea. It is headquartered in Busan, and has an office for cash markets and market oversight in Seoul. History The Korea Exchange was created through the integration of K ...

was originally located in Yeouido, but it moved to Busan in 2009. Korea Financial Investment Association is still based in Yeouido. The Korea Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) are also based in Yeouido. Despite its popularity with Korean financial institutions, Yeouido has proved less popular with foreign entities who tend to prefer the Jongno district. Other notable companies based in Yeongdeungpo include Lotte Confectionery, Hanjin Shipping, LG Corp., and Keoyang Shipping are headquartered in

in Yeongdeungpo District. Historically, Yeongdeungpo district has been dominated by the manufacturing industry and remnants of this are clearly visible around the district with small workshops and larger factories located next to modern developments, especially in Mullae-dong.

Landmarks and attractions

National Assembly Building of the Republic of Korea

Times Square

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...

is a large shopping mall located closed to Yeongdeungpo station and connected to an adjoining

Shinsegae Shinsegae Inc. (, ) is a South Korean department store Franchising, franchise, along with several other businesses, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The firm is an affiliate of Shinsegae Group, South Korea's leading retail ''chaebol'', and ...

department store which in turns is connected to Yeongdeungpo station. It is one of Seoul's largest shopping malls, featuring the CGV Starium, the world's largest permanent 35 mm cinema screen. Construction of Times Square started in 2006 on the site of a former Kyungbang plant in Yeongdeungpo, and lasted for three years. The construction cost a total of 600 billion won. On September 16, 2009, the mall officially opened, welcoming an average of 210,000 people per day.

Yeouido

Yeouido is home to many of Korea's tallest skyscrapers. One of the oldest and most well-known is the 63 Building, located on the eastern side of Yeouido. It was opened in 1985 to coincide with the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and intended to demonstrate Korea's economic success. The building is tall and was the tallest building in the country until 2003. The 60th floor houses the world's highest art gallery while the 63rd floor contains an observation deck known as the 63 Golden Tower. The 58th and 59th floors both feature restaurants. The lower floors house an indoor shopping mall with approximately 90 stores, an IMAX theater, and a large aquarium. A convention center and banquet hall are also housed within the building. Also within Yeouido is the International Finance Center (IFC). The IFC was opened in 2012 and includes the office towers, Conrad Hotel and the IFC Mall. The IFC mall hosts a large number of shops including major international brands. The center of the mall includes a large atrium with glass pavilion which extends above ground level. The mall itself occupies four floors below ground. Parc1 tower is the newest development in Yeouido with its primary feature being the 334 tall main tower. The development features 2 main office towers, a Fairmont Hotel (due to open in 2021) and a

Hyundai Department Store Hyundai Department Store () is a major department store chain in South Korea. Its parent company is the Hyundai Department Store Group. It, Lotte Department Store, and Shinsegae are the three largest chains in the country. Stores Seoul Metrop ...

(due to open in 2020 but pushed back to 2021). Hyundai have indicated that they will open an Amazon Go store with the department store, one of the first outside the US. Yeouido is also home to the Korean National Assembly Building which opened in 1975. South Korea's

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

legislature meets within the building and numerous of buildings and institutions associated with the assembly are located nearby. The

(KBS) New Wing Open Hall is located in Yeouido-dong. It is the broadcast and recording centre of many KBS programmes with a

studio audience A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canne ...

, namely the live weekly music show '' Music Bank''. In 2017 the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government opened SeMA Bunker, a museum occupying a previously undiscovered military bunker in Yeouido. The bunker was discovered in 2005 during groundwork for a bus transfer station. No official records of the bunker have been found but historians believe it was constructed for

Park Chung Hee Park Chung Hee (; ; November14, 1917October26, 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until Assassination of Park Chung ...

in 1976–1977 because large-scale military parades took place above the bunker on May 16 Square (now Yeouido Park).

Mullae Art Village

Mullae-dong was previously a successful industrial area developed in the 1960s as industry left the Cheonggyecheon in Jongno District and relocated to Mullae-dong. However, the growth of industry in the area declined in the 1990s as the Asian Financial Crisis had a considerable effect on the South Korean economy. In the 2000s, the availability of empty commercial buildings attracted artists to the area and in 2013 the Korean government officially supported to the concept. Mullae Art Village has become a popular leisure destination and is home to a large number of eateries, bars and other related venues, as well as a considerable number of workshops which are still in operation.

Green space

There are several major green spaces within Yeongdeungpo district. Yeouido is home to two of them – Yeouido Han River Park, which is a popular leisure and tourist destination, and Yeouido Park which runs through the center of Yeouido. Yeouido Han River Park hosts several major festivals including the Spring Flower (cherry blossom) Festival, the Seoul International Fireworks Festival and the Hangang Summer Festival. Yeouido Park was previous an airport that existed until the 1970s when it was turned into an asphalt plaza and named May 16 Square in reference to the coup led by

in 1961. In 1984

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

led a canonization mass at the park. In 1999 the park was returned to its natural state and opened to the public. Yeongdeungpo district also features the lower section of Anyangcheon (shared with Yangcheon District).

Transportation

Railroad

Yeongdeungpo district is served by the

which runs through the center of the district with trains calling at Yeongdeungpo station. Services include

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL () and changed its official Korean name () in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, ...

KTX, ITX, Mungunghwa and tourist trains. The Gyeongbu line is considered to be one of the most important rail lines in Korea and its strategic importance goes back to the early 20th century during the Japanese occupation period. Yeongdeungpo station is the last station within Seoul and since 1974 the Gyeongbu line and Seoul Metro Line 1 tracks have been integrated and electrified up until Yeongdeungpo station (further electrification of the line southwards took place in later years). ;*

;;;( Gwangmyeong station) ← Yeongdeungpo station → ( Yongsan station)

GTX

Great Train Express (GTX) is a planned higher-speed commuter rail network in the Seoul Capital Area project consisting of three separate lines, named GTX A, GTX B and GTX C, and scheduled for completion in 2025. As currently planned (2021), GTX B will connect Songdo in Incheon with Maseok in

Namyangju Namyangju (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri, and to the north is Pocheon. Namyangju was originally a southern part of Yangju-gun, but was separated into Namyangju-gun in April ...

, with trains calling at eleven stations in between including

. According to the Korean government, GTX B will be completed in 2021. ;* GTX B ;;;( Sindorim station) ← Yeouido station → ( Yongsan station)

Metro

The oldest subway line in Korea, Line 1, runs through the center of Yeongdeungpo District, serving Yeongdeungpo station, Singil Station & Deabang Station. The line first opened in 1974 as the Korean National Railroad of Seoul with through services to national mainline railways from Seongbuk station (now: Kwangwoon University station) to

Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

and

Suwon Suwon (; ) is the largest city and capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea's most populous province. The city lies approximately south of the national capital, Seoul. With a population of 1.2 million, Suwon has more inhabitants than Ulsan, tho ...

Stations. Prior to 2000, the underground section of Line 1 between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station was colored red on metro maps while the above-ground section was colored gray or blue. After 2000, the service was combined and colored dark blue. On average, trains run every six to nine minutes on the section between Seoul Station and Guro (the section serving Yeongdeungpo station). ;*

Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Subway Line 1 (dubbed ''The Dark Blue Line'') of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a rapid transit and commuter rail line which links central Seoul, South Korea to Yeoncheon station, Yeoncheon in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, an ...

;;;( Dongjak-gu) ← Daebang — Singil — Yeongdeungpo → (

Guro-gu Guro District () is one of the List of districts of Seoul, 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea, which was separated from Yeongdeungpo District on April 1, 1980. Located in the southwestern part of the city, where besides Yangcheon District and ...

) * Seoul Metro ;*

Seoul Subway Line 2 Seoul Subway Line 2 (), also known as the Circle Line, is a orbital (metro), circular line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The line running clockwise is called the "inner circle line" and the counter-clockwise line is called the "outer circle ...

Euljiro Circle Line ;;;(

) ← Mullae — Yeongdeungpo-gu Office — Dangsan → ( Mapo-gu) ;*

Seoul Subway Line 5 Seoul Subway Line 5 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, dubbed ''the purple line'', is a long line crossing from west to the east across the Seoul National Capital Area, South Korea. It is one of two subway lines in Seoul to cross ''under'' the Han ...

;;;( Yangcheon-gu) ←

Yangpyeong Yangpyeong County () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Climate Yangpyeong has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry w ...

— Yeongdeungpo-gu Office — Yeongdeungpo Market — Singil —

— Yeouinaru → ( Mapo-gu) ;* Seoul Subway Line 7 ;;;( Dongjak-gu) ← Boramae — Sinpung — Daerim → (

) *Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation ;* Seoul Subway Line 9 ;;;( Yangcheon-gu) ← Seonyudo — Dangsan —

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

—

— Saetgang → ( Dongjak-gu)

Future metro services

In addition to the existing subway services, two additional lines are currently under development. The Sillim Line is currently under construction and will connect Saetgang and Daebang in Yeongdeungpo district with stations in Dongjak District and Gwanak District with the final station at

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the SKY (universities), SKY universities and a part of the Flagship Korean National Universities. The university's main c ...

. Another line, the Mokdong Line, is also under development with construction due to commence in 2021. The Mokdong Line will connect Dangsan Station with stations in Yangcheon District, the final station being Sinwol Station.

Buses

Yeongdeungpo District is served by all types of buses operated in Seoul and its environs: green (local), blue (city), red (express) and white/green (Gyeonnggi). Gyeongin-ro, a major thoroughfare running from the south west to the north east, is a major bus route connecting the district with

Bucheon Bucheon (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is located away from Seoul, of which it is a satellite city. It is located between Incheon and Seoul. Bucheon is the second most densely populated city in South Korea after Seo ...

Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang, Gyeonggi, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the nort ...

and elsewhere. Gyeongin-ro links with Yeouiseo-ro/Yeoui-daero at Yeouido on which there is a large bus transfer center located in front of the IFC mall.

Highways

Olympic-daero (also known as Olympic Boulevard) runs alongside the south bank of the Han River and through Yeongdeungpo District. Construction of the road began in 1982 and was completed in 1986. The eight-lane highway is long and connects Yeongdeungpo with

and

Gimpo Gimpo (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River (Korea), Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities o ...

international airports as well as

Gangnam Gangnam (), sometimes referred to as the Greater Gangnam Area, is a geographic and cultural region in Seoul. While Gangnam can refer to the entire region of Seoul south of the Han River, the region is generally defined as consisting of the city ...

and Songpa in the east.

Education

Universities

* Seoul Sports Graduate University *

Berea International Theological Seminary Berea may refer to: Places Greece * Beroea, a place mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, now known as Veria or Veroia * Veria, historically spelled and sometimes transliterated as Berea and site of the ancient city of Beroea Lesotho * Berea D ...

High schools

* Janghun High School * Hangang Media High School * Seonyu High School * Yeongdeungpo Girls' High School * Youngshin High School * Yeouido Girls' High School * Yeouido High School * Daeyoung High School * Gwanak High School

Middle schools

* Yeouido Middle School * Munrae Middle School * Seonyu Middle School * Yoon Middle School * Yanghwa Middle School * Dangsanseo Middle School * Dangsan Middle School * Youngwon Middle School

Elementary schools

* Seoul Yeongdong Elementary School * Seoul Yeongjung Elementary School * Dangjung Elementary School * Yunjung Elementary School * Munrae Elementary School * Dangsan Elementary School * Yeongwon Elementary School * Dorim Elementary School * Yeouido Elementary School

International schools

* Yeong deng pou Korea Chinese primary school (永登浦華僑小學/한국영등포화교소학교)Yeong deng pou korea Chinese primary school
" International School Information, Government of South Korea. Retrieved March 30, 2016.

Sister cities

* Cheongyang, South Korea – Since October 24, 1995 * Goseong, South Korea – Since September 14, 1995 * Yeongam, South Korea – Since October 17, 1995 * Kishiwada, Japan – Since October 31, 2002 * Mentougou District, China – Since April 21, 1995 * Huangpu, Shanghai, China * Monterey Park, California, U.S. – Since October 30, 2007

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Districts of Seoul