Key takeaways
First-time visitors to Yeouido picture the financial district, the National Assembly building, and the Hangang Park famous for its cherry blossom festival. But the event that truly created today's Yeouido was the 1968 demolition of Bamseom Island. The city of Seoul blasted apart Bamseom to obtain stone for building an embankment (called *yunjungje*) around Yeouido's perimeter. Fact The 443 residents across 62 households then living on Bamseom were forcibly relocated to Changjeon-dong in Mapo-gu. Fact
Those displaced residents lost their homes again in the 1990s, when Changjeon-dong itself was redeveloped, and in June 2026, they formally petitioned Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (a government body investigating past state violence and human rights violations) for an official inquiry into the state violence involved in their original displacement. Fact FIT TRIP reads this island as a place built atop the destruction of another island — a debt that has not yet been fully settled.
What the postcard image misses
"Korea's Manhattan" tells only half this island's story. FIT TRIP asks the sharper question: what, and who, had to disappear to build this island?
✅ Before you go
- Cherry blossom season weekends draw extremely large crowds; public transit is strongly recommended
- Bamseom Island is a protected ecological conservation area, and general public access is restricted
- Outdoor facilities at Hangang Park keep different operating hours by season
- The financial district area can get congested during weekday lunch hours
FAQ
Q: Was Yeouido always a large island like it is today?
A: No. It took its current form after the 1968 demolition of Bamseom Island, whose stone was used to build the surrounding embankment. Fact
Q: Did Bamseom's displaced residents settle securely after their relocation?
A: No. They had to relocate again due to redevelopment in the 1990s, and as of 2026 they are still petitioning the government for an official inquiry. Fact