From Rotary to Subway Station, From Military Depot to Park

The Samgakji Rotary, once Korea's first multi-level traffic interchange, was demolished to make way for a subway line — and Yongsan, a strategically important military site since the Joseon dynasty, is now being reshaped into a park.

Key takeaways

Construction on the Samgakji Rotary began in 1967, and it was completed as Korea's only multi-level traffic rotary of its kind — but aging infrastructure, traffic that exceeded its capacity, and the construction of Samgakji Station on Subway Line 6 led to its demolition in 1994. Fact

The broader Yongsan area has been a strategically important military logistics site, adjacent to the Han River, since the Joseon dynasty. It served as a rear base for Japanese forces during the 1592 Imjin War invasions, was later occupied by Qing Chinese and then Japanese troops, and from 1910 to 1945 hosted the headquarters of Japan's colonial army in Korea. After Korea's liberation, the U.S. military took over the same facility. Fact More recently, as U.S. Forces Korea has relocated its main base to Pyeongtaek, plans have moved forward to convert the former Yongsan Garrison site into a public park — though debate continues over exactly how much land will be returned and who bears responsibility for environmental remediation. Fact

What to look for on site

The relationship between the old rotary site and today's Samgakji Station
Traces of Yongsan's history as a strategic military site, and the plans now reshaping it
The recurring pattern in which transit and military infrastructure keep reshaping this city's layout

Editorial note

The Yongsan Park project is an ongoing undertaking. Avoid stating its completion or final scope as settled fact — check the latest status at the time of publication.