익선동 - The Oldest Hanok Village in Seoul
Words by Becky 베키
Photos by Cedric ‘Skycedi’
익선동 (Ikseon-dong) is one of our favorite little neighborhoods to visit.
The extraordinary thing about Seoul is the amount of history there that has been lost due to the war, bulldozed over in the name of modernization or simply forgotten. Today, we know Seoul as a rapidly developed city with flashing signs and living in the future. But there are places where old Korea still exists.
익선동 is the oldest hanok village in Seoul, built before the 1930s.
A neighborhood of over 100 small hanok clustered together in a maze of narrow alleys,
종로 (Jongro), where 익선동 is located, was a central area of culture, politics and society during the Joseon Dynasty, but when Japanese colonial rule took over, land ownership changed, and by 1917 much of the land in Seoul was owned by the Japanese. The population of Seoul was increasing, and Korean residents struggled to find housing.
Architect and Korean independence fighter 정세권 (Jeong Se Gwon) bought the land in 익선동 in hopes of saving Jongro and its history.
He built a large-scale housing complex made up of hanoks there. He encouraged anti-Japanese resistance and fought the loss of Korean identity through his activism - part of which included building these traditional hanok complexes for ordinary Korans to live in.
Traditional hanok were built with a yard in the center and utilized a lot of space. 정세권 developed the modern hanok - practical homes designed for normal citizens living in narrow spaces.
For a long time, 익선동 was left quietly to exist.
In the 2000s, the government proposed a plan to redevelop the area. But 익선동 was saved by trend of ‘newtro’ - a renewed love of retro-style things - and as artists and young entrepreneurs moved into
익선동, the neighborhood’s original spirit was preserved while also being transformed into a stylish, hip spot full of beautiful cafes, unique shops and restaurants. The government eventually designated 익선동 as a hanok preservation district in 2018.
