Urban Infrastructure Also Becomes a 'Nighttime Attraction' as 'Seoul Light Up' Gains Momentum

[Financial News] Seoul's nighttime landscape is expanding into the spaces where residents go about their daily lives. Seoul Metropolitan Government is moving ahead with the Seoul Light Up project, which adds lighting inspired by local history and nature to infrastructure such as bridges and elevated roads—facilities previously focused mainly on connecting different parts of the city—to create new nighttime attractions.
The project is significant because it extends Seoul's nighttime content beyond a handful of tourism hubs into the neighborhoods residents visit every day. The city plans to draw people toward nearby businesses and cultural and tourism resources.
Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 27th that it had completed improvements to the landscape lighting at Dumo Bridge near Oksu Station and beneath the Bukbu Expressway viaduct around Wolgok Station. The project will be expanded to the Inner Ring Road at Jongam Intersection and Nowon Bridge over Jungnangcheon in October.
The Seoul Light Up project centers on creating a unique 'story of light' for each site by reflecting its history, place names and natural environment in the design. At Dumo Bridge near Oksu Station, the city completely replaced aging landscape lighting along the approximately 1-kilometer stretch from the northern end of Hannam Bridge to Seongsu Junction in August.
The project revived memories of Dumopo and Jeojado, which disappeared during the development of the Han River. Using 'golden sand' as its theme, the lighting captures the golden glow of the sunset that once settled over the Han River's surface and sand. Although the actual sites vanished amid urban development, their historical memories have been brought back through light.
While renovating the existing lighting installed in 2004, the project focused on creating a nighttime landscape that harmonizes with the scenery along the Han River.
The area beneath the Bukbu Expressway viaduct near Wolgok Station also took on a new look in April. Inspired by the name 'Wolgok,' meaning 'moon valley,' and the area's crescent-shaped terrain, the city adopted 'A Street Touched by Moonlight' as the concept. Warm golden lighting was installed beneath the viaduct and on its supporting columns.
The Inner Ring Road at Jongam Intersection, where landscape-lighting improvements are underway with completion targeted for October, will be infused with the story 'Flowing with Waves and Melodies of Light.' Inspired by the place name Jongam, meaning 'bell rock,' the design expresses the resonance and waves of sound spreading from a bell through the movement of light. The entire elevated structure will be used as one vast nighttime landscape, creating a rhythmic flow of light.
Nowon Bridge over Jungnangcheon will use the theme 'Silver Reeds Woven by the Wind, Memories of Water Flowing into Eternity' to depict through light the flowing water of Jungnangcheon and reeds swaying in the wind. The project is also expected to improve nighttime pedestrian conditions, allowing residents to walk, exercise and spend time along Jungnangcheon after dark.
Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding the Seoul Light Up project because it believes the 'city at night' itself is emerging as an important resource that determines urban competitiveness.
This year, Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced the vision of 'Seoul, a 24-Hour Dynamic Economic City' and is pursuing a Seoul-style nighttime economy policy that links culture, sports, tourism and commerce with transportation, safety and cleanliness from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day. The plan is to expand residents' active hours by increasing nighttime content, extend tourists' stays, and connect that activity to higher consumption and stronger local businesses.
The Seoul Light Up project also serves as urban infrastructure supporting this nighttime economy. It can create new nighttime content by making use of everyday spaces that already exist.
Choi Jin-seok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Disaster and Safety Office, said, "Seoul Light Up is a project that creates a new nighttime landscape for Seoul by adding local stories to the urban infrastructure people encounter in their daily lives. We will ensure that residents can safely walk, stay out and enjoy Seoul's appeal at night as well."

[email protected] Lee Seol-young Reporter