Seoul to dedicate new downtown plaza Saturday

SEOUL, July 30 (Yonhap) -- Seoul will open a new downtown plaza this weekend
after 15 months of construction to transform the central sections of the
boulevard into a public space, city officials said Thursday.

Gwanghwamun Plaza will be opened to the public on Saturday with a variety of
festive events and a ceremony marking its successful dedication, the Seoul
Metropolitan Government said. The project, featuring new national monuments and
showcasing the South Korean capital's six-century history, is part of efforts to
renovate Seoul's main streets with historic and cultural charms.
The landmark plaza measures 550 meters in length and 34 meters in width.
The number of traffic lanes crossing the central city area adjacent to Seoul City
Hall and two royal palaces has been reduced to make room for a 34-meter-wide and
557-meter-long stretch of pavement to be used during festivals and other large
events, city officials said.
The eastern edge of the plaza will be paved with stones engraved with the history
of Seoul from 1392 through 2008 with a waterway trailing down the side for some
365 meters, eventually meeting Cheonggye stream. The floor of the stream on the
western edge has been left empty so that it can be updated in the future,
officials said.
A large fountain, containing some 300 water jets, will be set up next to the
statue of Korea's famed admiral Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598), highlighting naval
battles Yi successfully led against foreign invaders.
A monument of King Sejong (1397-1450), credited with the invention of the Korean
alphabet Hangeul, will be set up some 250 meters north of the statue of Admiral
Yi. The statue is yet to be completed and will be unveiled on Oct. 9, marking the
anniversary of the creation of the Korean alphabet.
In front of the statue will be a small pond in which a water clock, a sundial, a
rainfall gauge and a celestial globe are set. Along the underground passage
directly under the statue will be an exhibition hall displaying the achievements
of King Sejong.
Another small exhibition hall, "Haechi Madang," is located inside the underground
path leading from Gwanghwanmun subway station to the square.
A replica of the mythical Haechi, a four-legged animal symbolizing Seoul, will
stand in the hall. Haechi first appeared in Chinese literature six centuries ago,
where it is described as having facial features resembling those of a man with
big, glaring eyes.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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