South of Hapjeong Station, the commercial pace suddenly slows. The older center of this area was not a subway interchange but Yanghwa Ferry on the Han River. It connected the western edge of the capital to routes toward Gimpo and Ganghwa, carrying tax grain, fish, vegetables, travelers, and news. Modern roads and the broad regulated river make it difficult to reconstruct the precise width and landing of the former ferry.
A scenic hill became a site of execution
The hill was called Jamdubong, “silkworm-head peak,” because of its shape. After Catholics were executed there during the 1866 Byeongin Persecution, it came to be remembered as Jeoldusan, “beheading mountain.” Today’s shrine includes a church, museum, and outdoor memorial spaces. Historical estimates of the number killed vary widely, so do not repeat a dramatic figure as settled fact.
Ferry and shrine place different times in the same view
An everyday transportation site, a place of state violence, and a contemporary pilgrimage destination overlap on one riverbank. Do not use the overlook only as a photo platform. Read the signs together with the terrain, and yield when Mass or memorial rites are taking place.
Hapjeong remains a place of connection
Today Lines 2 and 6 meet at Hapjeong Station, linking Hongdae, Mangwon, and the river. The ferry once connected opposite banks; subways and arterial roads now gather and distribute travelers. The technology changed from boats to rail and roads, but the area’s character as a junction continued.