K-Pop Demon Hunters : A Cinematic Walk in Seoul: Autumn Along Namsan’s Fortress Wall

 

A fortress-wall scene from KPop Demon Hunters.

Inspired by the atmosphere of K-Pop Demon Hunters, a walk along Namsan’s stone walls reveals a city where history, autumn colors, and everyday life share the same view.

The Seoul City Wall curves uphill toward N Seoul Tower, framed by autumn trees.

Some views make you stop walking before you even think about taking a photograph.

On this stretch of Namsan, a pale stone wall winds up the hillside toward N Seoul Tower. Trees turn shades of gold, rust, and deep green. People pause on the steps, pose for pictures, and turn around to see the city spreading out below.

If you enjoyed the fortress-wall scenery in KPop Demon Hunters, this landscape may feel familiar—even if you have never visited Seoul before.

From an Animated Scene to a Real Seoul Walk

One of the pleasures of watching a story set in Seoul is discovering how much of its atmosphere exists beyond the screen: hills rising between buildings, stone walls tracing the slopes, and places where the busy city suddenly feels farther away.

A distinction is useful when planning your visit. Official tourism guidance associates the film’s fortress-wall setting with the Naksan area. The photographs in this post show a different section of Seoul’s wall, on Namsan near Baekbeom Square.

Think of this walk as another way to experience the Seoul that makes those scenes so appealing. Read Seoul’s guide to the Naksan fortress-wall area.

Follow the Wall, Then Turn Around

A glimpse of N Seoul Tower above the trees and the winding wall.

Looking uphill, the tower draws your attention first. But the wall gives the scene its shape, leading your eye through the grass, past the walkers, and toward the wooded ridge.

There is no need to rush through this stretch. The changing angle of the wall gives you a reason to pause every few steps.

Then turn around.

Looking downhill, the wall leads back toward the buildings of central Seoul.

Below the hillside, office towers rise behind autumn trees. A church roof appears among the larger buildings. The stone path runs toward the city, making the distance between the park and downtown seem surprisingly small.

For a first-time visitor, this is part of Seoul’s appeal: a single view can hold a historic wall, a wooded hillside, and a modern skyline.

Autumn in the Details

N Seoul Tower rises above a hillside of autumn foliage.

The wider views are striking, but the smaller details deserve attention too: the uneven surface of the path, pale grass catching the light, red shrubs beside the wall, and leaves that have not quite finished turning.

In these photographs, autumn gives the landscape a warm, textured feel. The clear blue sky makes the tower stand out, while the softer colors along the path invite a slower look.

Visitors share the stepped path beside the wall.

This is also a shared city space. People stop for photographs while others continue uphill or make their way down. Take your time, but leave room for fellow walkers—especially along the narrower steps.

A Little Context Along the Way

The wall here belongs to Hanyangdoseong, also known as the Seoul City Wall. Namsan is one of its walking sections, and much of the wall around the mountain has undergone restoration.

A quick look at the information boards adds another dimension to the scenery: the stretch in front of you is part of a much larger route through Seoul’s landscape and history. Explore the official Namsan wall-trail guide.

Planning Your Visit

For the area pictured here, search your map app for Baekbeom Square Park (백범광장).

• Getting there: The official Visit Seoul listing gives Hoehyeon Station, Line 4, Exit 4 as a nearby approach, approximately 512 meters from the park.

• Admission: Baekbeom Square Park is free to enter.

• Footwear: Wear comfortable walking shoes; the photographed path includes slopes, steps, and uneven stone surfaces.

• Photography: Capture the uphill view toward N Seoul Tower, then turn around for the wall descending toward downtown.

• Pace: Leave time to pause rather than treating the path simply as a way to reach the tower.

Check the official park listing for visitor information.

A trail-side map shows how this section connects to the wider Seoul City Wall.

Warm light settles over downtown Seoul beyond the fortress wall.

A View Worth Keeping

A film can give you a reason to visit a city. Walking through it gives you something more personal to remember.

On Namsan, that might be the curve of a stone wall, autumn grass beside the steps, or the moment you turn away from the tower and discover the view behind you.

Come for the cinematic scenery. Give yourself enough time to notice the rest.

How Korean Young People Seek Rest

 

In Seoul’s Gangnam and Hongdae neighborhoods, dedicated spaces offer sleep and relaxation by the hour. For a set fee, visitors can use private sleeping rooms, massage chairs, or seats separated by curtains.

Opened in 2016, Shim Story offers individual sleeping rooms, massage chairs, and seating where visitors can stretch out. “I wanted to create a space where people could unwind however they liked—through massage, sleep, or reading,” said founder Jung. “But because so many people come here to sleep, it has become known primarily as a place for a nap.”

An office worker identified as J said, “I come to Shim Story when I’m physically exhausted. Sometimes I even skip lunch to spend my break here.”

Photo: Private sleeping rooms at Shim Story.

The design of these spaces reflects their operators’ own experiences of being unable to rest properly at work. Kim, founder of the massage-chair café Shim Lounge, recalled, “There was a break room at my company, but you had to scan your employee ID to use it, so I rarely went. Many office workers would sleep in toilet stalls.”

A woman in her 40s who runs a women-only rest space shared a similar experience. “The break room at work was cramped, and it was difficult to have any privacy,” she said. “Here, you don’t have to do anything.”

Rest has also become the focus of organized events. Held in Apgujeong on August 29 and 30, “ceiling service” brought together sound, movement, tea, and meditation, inviting participants to experience something unfamiliar while feeling at ease. Over four hours, visitors lay on mattresses to watch performances, slept, read, or talked quietly.

“Rather than prescribing how people should rest, we focused on creating conditions in which they could discover what felt comfortable for them,” said Kwak, the event’s organizer.

On the fifth of the month, the Asia Culture Center (ACC), under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, hosted the “2026 ACC Haneul Madang Space-Out Competition” in Jeonnam–Gwangju Integrated Special City.

Visual artist Woopsyang, who first conceived the Space-Out Competition in 2014, said, “The idea came from imagining how, in a world that never stops moving, we might become a still backdrop for one another.”

A participant identified as H said, “Competition is so intense in Korea that the fear of falling behind makes it even harder to rest. There’s something meaningful about turning the experience of resting into an artistic activity we create together.”

Photo: A participant in the 2026 ACC Space-Out Competition poster rest while sitting or lying on the lawn.

“Events centered on rest create a sense of social permission and a boundary that says, ‘You can rest now,’” said Kim Ju-yeon, a professor of urban sociology at the University of Seoul. “But if people can only relax without guilt by attending a special event, that also suggests there is not enough room for rest in everyday life.”

A Society in Need of Rest

Young people’s efforts to make room for rest stem from overlapping pressures: fatigue that sleep alone does not resolve, anxiety about their future careers, and emotional exhaustion.

According to the Korean Sleep Research Society’s 2024 report on sleep in Korea, Koreans sleep an average of six hours and 58 minutes a night—18 percent less than the OECD average.

“By the time I get home from work, it’s seven or eight in the evening,” said a respondent surnamed Lee. “Once I’ve met friends, spent time on hobbies, or prepared for a job change, I end up short on sleep.”

A neurology professor at Seoul National University Hospital, identified as Y, said, “A short nap of 15 to 30 minutes between 1 and 3 p.m. can effectively reduce drowsiness and fatigue and help you recover quickly.” The professor emphasized, however, that “getting enough quality sleep at night matters most.”

Anxiety over careers and making a living also takes a toll. According to the Office for Government Policy Coordination’s 2024 Survey on Young People’s Lives, 32.2 percent of people aged 19 to 34 had experienced burnout in the previous year. Career anxiety was the most frequently cited reason, at 39.1 percent.

“Young people today are being driven into a fragmented state of exhaustion by the compulsion to constantly manage and prove themselves,” said a professor at Duksung Women’s University, identified as R.

“Even on my days off, I keep wondering, ‘Is it really okay for me to be doing this?’ So mentally, I never fully rest,” said M, a respondent in their 20s. “I need a place where I can step away from the pressures of everyday life for a while and enjoy some quiet.”

L, a Space-Out Competition participant in their 30s, described a similar feeling. “Whenever I saw other people working hard, I felt worthless,” they said. “Spacing out alone makes me feel as though I’m the only one falling behind. But doing it together, with everyone letting their minds go blank, was actually comforting.”

Photo: “It was lovely to spend 90 minutes simply watching the clouds,” said one Space-Out Competition participant.

Rest Between Self-Care and Commercialization

The growing variety of ways to rest has prompted mixed responses. For young people who struggle to unwind in everyday life, paid rest spaces offer another option. Yet some question what it means when even rest depends on the ability to pay.

Professor Kim described paid rest spaces as “both an active attempt at self-care and self-preservation, and an extreme form of commercialization in which even rest must depend on the market.”

“The capability to rest means being free to rest in ways that you personally value,” said Professor Kim. “Paid spaces can expand the options available. But if people have to pay because there are no alternatives, it is difficult to say that their capability to rest has increased.”

Others argue that a society offering too few opportunities to rest comfortably needs to rethink its attitude toward downtime.

“We need places to sleep in schools and workplaces, along with a culture that treats napping as a way to care for our health rather than as laziness,” said Professor Jung.

Young people, meanwhile, continue to create and define rest according to their own circumstances.

“The only places I can really rest are my dormitory or a comic-book café,” said Kim, a 25-year-old writer. “Unless there were special circumstances, I wouldn’t pay just to rest.”

“I think real rest is something you have to seek out for yourself,” said another respondent, surnamed Moon. “Even when your surroundings are unforgiving, it’s important to find your own way of resting and protect it.”

“I’m not sure the growth of the rest industry is a good thing,” said one business owner, identified as Kim. “It also shows how difficult life in this society has become.”

The World Needs to See Yoo Hae-jin in The Assassins

 

A performance that makes history feel lived—and deserves an audience far beyond Korea

Yoo Hae-jin’s performance in The Assassins did not feel like acting.

It felt like encountering someone who had actually lived through the world the film was trying to recreate.

Curiously, it was Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho who kept reminding me that I was watching a movie. As reporters for the fictional Dongsung Ilbo, they embody an ideal of journalism so unwavering that it feels almost beyond the reach of the present.

They are everything we want journalists to be: committed to the public’s right to know, resistant to intimidation, and prepared to defend their responsibilities at enormous personal cost.

They endure beatings and threats without surrendering their convictions. A broken hand, a kick from a military boot—nothing seems capable of extinguishing their insistence that a journalist has a duty to the public. At times, they reminded me of Superman getting back on his feet and brushing the dust from his shoulders.

There is something moving about that idealism. There is also something unmistakably cinematic about it.

With their screen presence and almost impossibly handsome faces, Park and Lee make these reporters seem larger than life. Watching them, I occasionally found myself wondering: Were there really people like this? Could anyone remain so resolute?

Whenever that question threatened to pull me out of the film, Yoo Hae-jin brought me back.

His presence gives the story weight. As the film reaches toward an ideal, he keeps its feet on the ground. His face, his physical bearing, his delivery, and the way he inhabits his character all make the world around him feel tangible.

The contrast is essential to the film’s balance. Park and Lee give us an image of the courage we hope human beings can possess. Yoo makes us believe that such courage must exist among people who are recognizably human.

His humor is especially important.

In another actor’s hands, some of the comic moments might have felt forced, or like brief interruptions inserted to relieve the tension. With Yoo, they seem to belong to the person. Even his more exaggerated gestures carry the texture of everyday behavior: awkwardness, wit, absurdity, and the small ways people get through circumstances larger than themselves.

He makes humor feel compatible with fear and historical gravity. Life does not stop being strange or occasionally funny simply because the times are dark.

That quality allows him to guide the entire film. He becomes the audience’s point of contact with its world, carrying the story forward while keeping us close to its human scale.

He meets the audience at eye level.

When I try to think of another actor with a comparable ability, Sean Penn is one of the few who comes to mind. Penn has played heightened, dramatic, even heroic characters, but at his best he gives a film the feeling of a life unfolding in front of us.

Yoo has that same power. You stop registering the decisions of an actor and begin accepting the existence of a person.

I deeply admire Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun as well. Yet in some of their performances, I remain aware of the force of their screen presence—the intensity, the command, the moments that make you think, What a tremendous actor.

With Yoo, that awareness often disappears. I am watching the character before I remember to admire the performance.

His expressiveness can be broad, but it rarely feels concerned with making him look impressive. It belongs to the humor and humanity of the scene. He gives the impression that the character existed before the camera arrived and will continue to exist after it leaves.

In The Assassins, that ability has particular significance.

A historical thriller can make the past exciting while leaving it emotionally distant. Political violence becomes suspense; suffering becomes plot; the people caught in events become vehicles for the next revelation.

Yoo prevents that distance from opening up. His performance continually reconnects the film’s dramatic machinery to the human reality underlying its historical setting.

The film is a dramatization, not a documentary. Yet he sustains the feeling that the past involved people as tangible as those around us today—people with habits, contradictions, humor, and lives that could be damaged beyond repair.

For an international audience unfamiliar with Korea’s history, that human connection can be the most important way into the film. Viewers may arrive without knowing the political background. They can still recognize vulnerability, intimidation, stubbornness, and the effort to hold on to a sense of right and wrong.

This is where The Assassins could make a meaningful contribution to world cinema.

Its Korean history gives the story its identity. Its questions travel: What does the public have a right to know? What happens when telling the truth becomes dangerous? How does a person preserve a conscience under pressure?

The film brings those questions into contact with both journalistic idealism and ordinary human behavior. Its humor allows the characters to breathe; its tension gives their choices consequences. Yoo’s performance holds those elements together.

For filmmakers and actors elsewhere, there is something worth studying here: how a performance can anchor an ambitious political drama without constantly announcing its importance. How humor can deepen a character’s credibility. How an actor can carry a film while making the audience forget the labor involved.

And for audiences, there is the much simpler pleasure of watching an extraordinary actor make every moment feel inhabited.

Calling Yoo Hae-jin a “national treasure” is meant as praise in Korea. After this film, the description feels geographically too small.

His stature should extend far beyond the country that already knows how good he is. International audiences, critics, festival programmers, and distributors should be paying close attention. The Assassins offers a compelling opportunity to introduce him to viewers who have not yet discovered the full range of his talent.

That recognition should begin with the work itself. Watch how he gives the film balance. Watch how naturally the humor emerges. Watch how he keeps the story connected to the lives that history can otherwise reduce to names, dates, and political explanations.

Few films about Korea’s darker past have struck me as so tightly constructed and so alive to the people within them. At the center is Yoo Hae-jin, sustaining the thread between the drama on screen and the human reality beyond it.

For me, The Assassins is the best film of 2026 so far, and Yoo gives its finest performance.

Korean audiences should not be the only ones who get to experience it.

The world needs to see him.

Why America Needs South Korea’s Shipyards

 

From advanced submarines to the launch of Daeho Kim Jong-seo, South Korea is demonstrating the maritime industrial strength Washington increasingly seeks

On September 30, 2026, South Korea launched another advanced Aegis destroyer at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan.

For the Republic of Korea Navy, Daeho Kim Jong-seo marked another step toward a six-ship Aegis fleet. For American observers, the launch carried an additional message: a close ally possesses the shipyards, skilled workforce, and accumulated engineering experience that Washington is increasingly looking to mobilize in support of its own maritime ambitions.

South Korea’s shipbuilding strength is already visible in working shipyards and completed vessels. As the United States seeks greater cooperation, Korea is simultaneously expanding its submarine fleet, building sophisticated surface combatants, and developing the organizations needed to operate farther from home. The strategic background is the intensifying maritime competition between the United States and China.

Widely circulated comparisons place Chinese shipbuilding capacity at roughly 230 times that of the United States. That figure requires careful interpretation: it concerns shipbuilding capacity measured by tonnage, encompassing the much larger commercial industry. It does not mean that China’s navy has 230 times the combat power of the U.S. Navy.

Nevertheless, the industrial disparity matters. Maritime power depends on the ability to build new vessels, repair existing ones, sustain operations, and replace losses over time. China’s enormous shipbuilding base has made those questions increasingly urgent for Washington. 

South Korea offers capabilities directly relevant to that problem.

Its major yards combine large-scale commercial construction with experience in submarines, destroyers, support vessels, and naval maintenance. These capabilities rest on decades of investment in engineering, production facilities, suppliers, and skilled labor. They cannot be reproduced quickly through funding announcements alone.

American interest has therefore moved beyond expressions of admiration.

In April 2025, U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan visited Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The Navy’s account of the visit explicitly emphasized South Korea’s expertise in maintenance, repair, and overhaul as important to improving naval operational capabilities. In February 2026, Military Sealift Command held another industry event in Busan to strengthen access to regional ship-repair capacity. 

A practical demonstration had already taken place.

In March 2025, USNS Wally Schirra, a Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship, departed Hanwha Ocean’s yard after a major overhaul. The U.S. Pacific Fleet described the additional repair capacity in South Korea as a means of sustaining the readiness of the logistics vessels that support fleet operations.

This was a support ship, rather than an American frontline destroyer. But that distinction does not diminish the importance of the work. Combat fleets depend on replenishment vessels, and access to additional maintenance facilities helps keep those supporting ships available. Korean industrial capability was already contributing to American naval readiness. 

The cooperation also extends to rebuilding capacity inside the United States.

In October 2025, the White House announced maritime cooperation involving Korean investment in American shipyards and workers, including a planned $5 billion investment program between HD Hyundai and Cerberus Capital Management. America’s Maritime Action Plan, published in February 2026, likewise identified continued cooperation with South Korea and Japan as part of revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding.

These initiatives remain distinct from completed ships or fully realized production gains. They nevertheless show how prominently Korean expertise now figures in Washington’s industrial plans. Against that background, the launch of Daeho Kim Jong-seo offers a concrete illustration of what makes South Korea valuable.

The ship is the third and final destroyer in the Jeongjo the Great class, developed under the KDX-III Batch-II program. It measures 170 meters in length and 21 meters in beam, with a light displacement of approximately 8,200 tonnes and a maximum speed of 30 knots—about 55 kilometers per hour. Light displacement should not be confused with the ship’s fully loaded displacement. 

Its significance lies in the missions it is designed to perform.

Equipped with an advanced Aegis combat system, the destroyer belongs to a generation of Korean warships intended to support ballistic-missile detection, tracking, and interception missions. It adds a mobile maritime component to national defense, giving commanders more options for positioning sensors and defensive capabilities.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery to the navy in December 2027 after trials and performance evaluations. Its launch therefore marks an important construction milestone, with further work required before operational service. Once the planned deliveries are completed, South Korea’s Aegis force will comprise three Sejong the Great-class and three Jeongjo the Great-class destroyers. The name connects this modern capability to Korean history. Kim Jong-seo helped establish the six northern frontier garrisons during King Sejong’s reign. His name and the epithet “Daeho” now identify a warship intended to protect the country at sea.

At the launch ceremony, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized national sovereignty and the ability to defend Korea through its own capabilities, while pledging support for shipbuilding and the defense industry. 

The development of Korean maritime power is equally visible beneath the surface.

In October 2025, South Korea launched Jang Yeong-sil, the lead submarine of the KSS-III Batch-II program. Its lithium-ion batteries and improved systems are intended to increase submerged endurance and the time it can operate at high speed. These developments strengthen the submarine’s ability to remain concealed and sustain demanding missions. 

Operational experience is expanding alongside construction. In 2026, Dosan Ahn Chang-ho crossed the Pacific and participated in combined training in Canadian waters. Such deployments develop the experience required for sustained operations beyond Korea’s immediate surroundings. 

Advanced submarines and Aegis destroyers provide complementary capabilities. Submarines bring concealment and uncertainty for an adversary. Surface combatants provide visible presence, surveillance, and defensive coverage. Aircraft, helicopters, support ships, and communications allow these capabilities to function together.

South Korea has also changed its command structure to support this development. On February 1, 2025, it established its Fleet Maneuver Command, with responsibilities including maritime responses to North Korean nuclear and missile threats and the protection of sea lines of communication. Taken together, these developments suggest a widening maritime strategy. Defense of the peninsula remains central, while protecting the routes that connect Korea to overseas markets and energy supplies receives increasing operational attention.

For a trading nation, the ability to operate at sea has direct economic consequences. Disruption far from Korean shores can affect factories, shipping schedules, energy costs, and household livelihoods. A navy with greater endurance and more deployable assets gives the government additional ways to respond.

For the United States, this makes South Korea important in two related ways.

Korea is building more capable forces of its own, increasing the contribution it can make to regional security. At the same time, its industrial base can help address American needs in maintenance, investment, production methods, and workforce development.

The launch at Ulsan was not itself an American procurement event. Its significance for Washington lies in what it demonstrated: Korean yards continue to turn engineering expertise and industrial capacity into sophisticated naval vessels, while American officials actively seek deeper access to that experience.

Cooperation will require sustained investment and careful implementation. Neither maintenance agreements nor industrial partnerships instantly resolve America’s shipbuilding challenges. Korea must also preserve sufficient capacity for its own fleet, commercial customers, and workforce.

But the direction is clear. Korean shipbuilding has become a resource of considerable strategic value to the United States—and a source of greater influence for South Korea within the alliance.

As Daeho Kim Jong-seo proceeds through trials toward delivery, it will represent more than an addition to Korea’s order of battle. Alongside new submarines and expanding operational capabilities, it demonstrates a country steadily converting industrial strength into maritime power.

That is why Washington is paying attention.

At a time when the ability to build and sustain fleets has become a central strategic concern, South Korea possesses working yards, experienced people, and a record of delivering advanced ships. The launch of another Aegis destroyer makes that value visible.

[Korean Ancient History] The Army That Stopped an Empire: Goguryeo’s Victory over Tang Taizong

In the autumn of 645, one of the most powerful rulers in the world turned his army away from a fortress he could not conquer.

He was Li Shimin, known to history as Emperor Taizong of Tang. A veteran commander who had helped establish his dynasty, he had defeated formidable rivals and extended his empire’s influence across much of Asia. He had marched against Goguryeo expecting another triumph.

Instead, Goguryeo remained standing.

The fortress was Ansi. Its commander’s name was not preserved in the principal historical accounts. Yet what he and his people accomplished became one of the most enduring stories in Korean history: a defending army and community holding their ground until an emperor’s invasion could go no farther.

For readers unfamiliar with Korea’s ancient past, the story begins beyond the borders of the modern Korean Peninsula.

Goguryeo was a major kingdom extending across northern Korea and substantial parts of what is now northeastern China. Its capital was Pyongyang, but its western defenses lay far beyond the Yalu River, in Liaodong. To its inhabitants, this region was home—a landscape of farms, settlements, military strongholds, and routes connecting generations of Goguryeo life.

For centuries, the kingdom had maintained its own political identity while competing and negotiating with Chinese dynasties, northern peoples, and neighboring Korean states. Its independence faced a particular danger whenever a powerful empire united China and turned its attention eastward.

That danger had arrived before.

In the early seventh century, the Sui dynasty repeatedly invaded Goguryeo. In 612, the Goguryeo commander Eulji Mundeok inflicted a devastating defeat on a Sui expedition, remembered in Korea as the victory at the Salsu River. When Tang later prepared its own invasion, Goguryeo still carried the experience of those earlier wars.

Its people knew what imperial conquest meant. They also knew that an invading empire could be resisted.

Relations with the newly established Tang dynasty initially allowed room for diplomacy. But as Tang power expanded, the pressure on Goguryeo increased. The kingdom strengthened its western defenses, while the Tang court gathered information about its territory and military preparations.

In 642, the powerful Goguryeo statesman and military leader Yeon Gaesomun seized power in a violent coup. Taizong invoked the killing of Goguryeo’s king as a justification for intervention. Appeals for assistance from Silla, Goguryeo’s rival on the peninsula, added another dimension to the conflict.

For the people defending Goguryeo’s frontier, however, the immediate issue was clear: a foreign emperor was preparing to enter their country and impose his will by force. National Institute of Korean History, “The Goguryeo–Tang War”

Taizong committed an enormous military effort.

Tang armies approached by land and sea. Experienced generals commanded the expedition, supported by siege equipment, transport ships, and supply arrangements. The emperor himself joined the campaign.

The exact number of troops remains debated. A Korean historical overview estimates total mobilization at more than 300,000. A 2022 study published in the Korean military-history journal Gunsa, using recorded grain supplies to estimate troop strength, proposed a minimum of approximately 403,000 to 422,000 soldiers, including naval forces.

These are scholarly estimates, not a surviving, complete military roll. Nor should the soldiers alone be confused with everyone whose labor sustained the expedition. Shipbuilding, transport, construction, and provisioning extended the demands of war far beyond the battlefield. Choi Jin-yeol, “Tang Taizong’s Expedition against Goguryeo and the Strength of the Tang Army”

Goguryeo therefore faced a formidable concentration of imperial power.

The opening campaign demonstrated how dangerous that power was.

Tang forces crossed the Liao River and attacked Goguryeo’s western strongholds. Their greatest early success was the capture of Liaodong Fortress, a central pillar of the kingdom’s defenses.

The Samguk Sagi, the Korean history compiled in the twelfth century, describes how Tang troops exploited a strong wind to set a tower ablaze. Fire spread through the fortress, and the attackers assaulted its walls. The defenders fought but could not hold.

The record lists heavy losses among soldiers and civilians, along with the seizure of a vast quantity of grain. Other strongholds also fell.

Goguryeo’s victory in 645 did not emerge from an uninterrupted sequence of successes. It came after burning fortresses, lost supplies, captured inhabitants, and severe military reverses. That is what gives the resistance at Ansi its significance. Samguk Sagi, “The Fall of Liaodong Fortress”

As Tang forces approached Ansi, Goguryeo dispatched a large relief army under Go Yeonsu and Go Hyejin. The historical accounts put its strength at 150,000, including Malgal troops.

The relief effort ended in disaster.

According to the Samguk Sagi, the experienced Go Jeongui advised against a direct confrontation. He urged the commanders to prolong the campaign and disrupt the invaders’ supplies. The relief army instead advanced into battle, where Tang maneuvering and attacks from multiple directions broke its resistance. Its commanders surrendered.

Ansi’s defenders now faced the imperial army after the force sent to rescue them had been defeated. Samguk Sagi, “Go Yeonsu Advances”

They continued to fight.

Ansi mattered because an invading army could not safely treat every unconquered fortress as an obstacle to be walked around. A defending garrison left behind could threaten supply convoys and routes of retreat. Advancing farther into Goguryeo while leaving hostile forces in the rear carried serious risks, especially with the emperor present.

The resistance of one fortress could therefore affect the prospects of an entire expedition.

Tang troops brought siege engines against the walls. Stones battered defensive structures. Repeated assaults tested the garrison.

The defenders repaired the damage. Where walls or towers were broken, they erected wooden barriers. As the attackers changed their methods, the defenders adjusted their positions.

These brief entries in the historical record reveal sustained organization. A fortress could endure such fighting only through the combined efforts of its commanders, soldiers, and supporting population. Combat and repair had to continue together.

Most of those people left no names in history. Their work survives in the record of a wall repeatedly damaged and repeatedly defended.

Later Korean tradition called the commander Yang Man-chun. That name appears in later literature rather than the principal accounts of the campaign. But the commander’s achievement is firmly embedded in the historical narrative. Kim Busik, the compiler of the Samguk Sagi, regretted that the name of such an outstanding defender had not been preserved. Academy of Korean Studies, “Yang Man-chun”

As the siege continued, Tang forces undertook an immense construction project: an earthen mound beside the fortress.

The mound would give the attackers an elevated position overlooking the defenses and a means of approaching the walls. The Samguk Sagi describes approximately sixty days of work.

Then part of the mound collapsed, damaging a section of the fortress wall.

It was a dangerous moment for Ansi. Yet the defenders seized the opportunity. Goguryeo troops emerged, occupied the mound, and established a defensive position on it. Tang attempts to recover it failed.

The attackers had spent weeks constructing an advantage that the defenders took from them.

Ansi’s resistance involved more than endurance. Its troops responded decisively when an opportunity appeared, turning a crisis at their own walls into a setback for the besieging army. Samguk Sagi, “Tang Constructs an Earthen Mound”; National Institute of Korean History, Ansi campaign records

Meanwhile, the season was changing.

The army that had entered Liaodong in spring was still campaigning as autumn advanced. Soldiers needed food. Horses needed fodder. Transport demanded labor and protection. Every additional day before Ansi consumed resources and narrowed the time available for further operations.

Goguryeo’s defenders were imposing a cost that battlefield victories elsewhere had not removed.

On the eighteenth day of the ninth lunar month, Taizong ordered the withdrawal.

Ansi had held. Goguryeo’s government remained intact. Pyongyang had not fallen. The emperor had captured important strongholds and defeated a major relief army, but he had failed to turn those achievements into the submission of the kingdom.

Goguryeo had won the strategic contest of 645. National Institute of Korean History, “The War between Goguryeo and Tang”

The journey home exposed the expedition to further hardship.

The Samguk Sagi records that mud in the Liao marshlands obstructed horses and wagons. Thousands of men were assigned to cut vegetation and fill a passage; wagons were used to bridge deeper water. Cold and snow compounded the difficulties of withdrawal.

Exactly how many soldiers returned alive cannot be established from the surviving evidence. The transmitted campaign summary gives approximately 2,000 Tang combat deaths, a figure that cannot simply be subtracted from a modern estimate of the expedition’s total strength to produce a reliable survivor count. Korean historical commentary has questioned whether the recorded losses adequately reflect the damage suffered.

The same transmitted record reports the death of seven or eight out of every ten warhorses—an immense loss to an army dependent on mobility and transport. That figure concerns horses, not the proportion of soldiers killed. Samguk Sagi, the retreat through the Liao marshes; Academy of Korean Studies, “The Battle of Ansi”; Korean History Database, campaign-loss record

Taizong did not immediately abandon his ambition.

He ordered further attacks and prepared another major expedition. Goguryeo continued to resist. When he died in 649, he had still not conquered the kingdom.

The Samguk Sagi preserves a final instruction: he ordered the Liaodong campaign discontinued in his testament.

The emperor who had personally led the invasion thus ended his life without achieving its objective, leaving an order to halt the renewed campaign. His successor would eventually resume the war, but Taizong’s own struggle with Goguryeo had ended in failure. Samguk Sagi, “The Death of Tang Taizong”

Goguryeo would fall in 668, under a different Tang emperor and profoundly changed circumstances. Prolonged warfare, cooperation between Tang and Silla, and division within Goguryeo’s leadership would combine to destroy the kingdom.

That later defeat does not diminish what its people accomplished in 645.

They had faced an emperor at the height of his military prestige. They had suffered grievous losses and continued to resist. At Ansi, disciplined defense, relentless repair, and timely counterattack brought the imperial advance to a halt.

The defenders did not need to destroy every invading soldier to win. They needed to deny the emperor the conquest he had come to achieve.

They did.

In the autumn of 645, Taizong went home.

The people of Ansi remained on their own ground.

Swimming by the Hangang River

 

A Detailed Guide to Seoul’s 2026 Hangang Park Swimming Pools and Water Playgrounds

One of the most affordable ways to escape Seoul’s summer heat is to visit one of the city’s seasonal outdoor swimming pools and water playgrounds along the Hangang River, often called the Han River in English.

These facilities are located inside Seoul’s riverside parks. Visitors do not swim directly in the river itself. Instead, the city operates purpose-built outdoor pools and shallow water-play areas beside the river, offering swimming, family water play, shaded rest spaces, and evening entertainment against the backdrop of Seoul’s skyline.

For the 2026 summer season, six facilities are open: two outdoor swimming-pool complexes at Ttukseom and Yeouido, and four shallower water playgrounds at Jamsil, Gwangnaru, Nanji, and Yanghwa. They are considerably cheaper than hotel pools and private water parks, making them especially attractive to families, students, long-term visitors, and budget-conscious travellers. (Seoul City Government)

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1. Essential Information

Operating season:
Friday, June 19–Sunday, August 30, 2026

Closing days:
There are no regularly scheduled closing days during the operating period.

General operating hours:
9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.

Exceptions:
Gwangnaru and Yanghwa Water Playgrounds close at 6:00 p.m.

Temporary closures:
Entry may be suspended because of heavy rainfall, flooding, water-quality concerns, or other safety conditions. Visitors should check same-day announcements, particularly after prolonged rain. (Seoul City Government)

Mandatory breaks

Visitors cannot remain in the water continuously throughout the day. Water entry is suspended during the following meal and maintenance periods:

• Lunch break: 12:00 noon–1:00 p.m.

• Dinner break: 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Additional short safety or maintenance breaks may be announced at individual facilities. Everyone must leave the water when instructed by lifeguards, even if they intend to remain inside the facility. (Seoul City Government)

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2. Admission Fees

Outdoor swimming pools

Ttukseom and Yeouido

Age category	Admission
Children aged 6–12	KRW 3,000
Teenagers aged 13–18	KRW 4,000
Adults aged 19 and over	KRW 5,000

Water playgrounds

Jamsil, Gwangnaru, Nanji, and Yanghwa

Age category	Admission
Children aged 6–12	KRW 1,000
Teenagers aged 13–18	KRW 2,000
Adults aged 19 and over	KRW 3,000

Children aged five and under may enter free of charge, but an original document proving the child’s age may be required. The official guidance states that photographs of supporting documents are not accepted, so families should bring an appropriate original document or confirm acceptable identification with the facility in advance. (Seoul City Government)

A 50 per cent discount is available to several eligible groups, including visitors aged 65 and over, registered disabled visitors and one accompanying carer, recognised veterans, qualifying Seoul multi-child-family cardholders, and certain other officially designated groups. Supporting identification or documentation is required. Foreign visitors who believe they qualify should ask the ticket office before purchasing admission. (Hangang)

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3. Choosing the Right Location

The six facilities differ considerably in size, depth, transport convenience, and atmosphere.

Ttukseom Hangang Park Swimming Pool

Best for: First-time visitors, families with children of different ages, and anyone wanting the widest variety of pools.

Ttukseom is probably the easiest all-round recommendation. It contains four separate water areas:

• Lazy River Pool: approximately 910 m², depth 1 metre

• Adult Pool: approximately 3,020 m², depth 0.6–1 metre

• Children’s Pool: approximately 500 m², depth 0.6 metre

• Toddler Pool: approximately 210 m², depth 0.4 metre

The lazy river is its most distinctive feature. Children must be accompanied by a guardian, and all users—including adults—must wear an approved flotation device in the lazy river. Small arm floaties are not accepted as substitutes. (Seoul City Government)

Address:
112 Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul

Public transport:
Take Subway Line 7 to Jayang Station, officially named Jayang (Ttukseom Hangang Park) Station. Use Exit 2 or 3 and walk for approximately five minutes.

Telephone:
+82-2-452-5955 (Hangang)

Because it is close to a subway station and includes separate areas for toddlers, children, and adults, Ttukseom is generally the most convenient option for foreign families unfamiliar with Seoul.

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Yeouido Hangang Park Swimming Pool

Best for: Visitors staying in central or western Seoul, mixed-age families, and people interested in evening entertainment.

Yeouido has three pools:

• Youth and Adult Pool: approximately 2,200 m², depth 1 metre

• Children’s Pool: approximately 2,350 m², depth 0.6 metre

• Toddler Pool: approximately 200 m², depth 0.4 metre

Despite being called an adult pool, the water is relatively shallow. The facility is therefore better suited to recreational swimming, cooling off, and family play than to serious lap swimming. (Seoul City Government)

Address:
82-9 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Public transport:
Take Subway Line 9 to National Assembly Station, use Exit 1, and walk for approximately 15 minutes.

Telephone:
+82-2-785-0478 (Hangang)

Evening DJ programme

From July 24 through August 30, live DJ performances are scheduled at the Yeouido pool every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The programme is included in the normal admission price and does not require an additional performance ticket. (Hangang)

Yeouido is a particularly good choice for visitors who want to combine swimming with an evening picnic, riverside walk, or night view of Seoul.

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Jamsil Hangang Park Water Playground

Best for: Families staying near Jamsil, Songpa, Lotte World, or southeastern Seoul.

Jamsil is officially classified as a water playground rather than a full swimming pool. It contains three separate areas:

• Toddler Pool: approximately 151 m², maximum depth 0.3 metre

• Joy Pool: approximately 864 m², maximum depth 0.6 metre

• Wonder Pool: approximately 4,453 m², maximum depth 1 metre

The range of depths makes it suitable for families with both younger and older children. (Seoul City Government)

Address:
1-1 Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Public transport:
Take Subway Line 2 to Jamsilsaenae Station, use Exit 7, and walk for approximately 15 minutes.

Telephone:
+82-2-3431-8475 or +82-2-3431-8476 (Hangang)

Drivers should note that access through the former Hangang Park Parking Lot 4 is currently unavailable. Official guidance directs Jamsil Water Playground visitors towards Parking Lot 5, entering through the Parking Lot 1 side. Public transportation is still the simpler option during busy summer periods. (Hangang)

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Gwangnaru Hangang Park Water Playground

Best for: Families with toddlers and younger children who prefer a quieter, shallower environment.

Gwangnaru has two main areas:

• Family Pool: approximately 1,249 m², maximum depth 1 metre

• Toddler Pool: approximately 573 m², maximum depth 0.3 metre

It closes earlier than most other locations, at 6:00 p.m. (Seoul City Government)

Address:
351-1 Cheonho-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul

Public transport:
Take Subway Line 8 to Amsa Station, use Exit 3, and walk for approximately 20 minutes.

Telephone:
+82-2-470-9561 (Hangang)

Because the station is not immediately beside the facility, families carrying strollers, tents, or large bags may find a short taxi ride from the station more comfortable.

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Yanghwa Hangang Park Water Playground

Best for: Young children, relaxed water play, and visitors who do not need deep water or late-night opening.

Yanghwa consists of one water-play pool:

• Total area: approximately 1,700 m²

• Maximum depth: 0.8 metre

Like Gwangnaru, it closes at 6:00 p.m. (Seoul City Government)

Address:
1-4 Yanghwa-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul

Public transport:
Take Subway Line 9 to Seonyudo Station, use Exit 2, and walk for approximately 20 minutes.

Telephone:
+82-70-8858-5460 (Hangang)

Yanghwa is a sensible choice for families seeking a compact daytime facility rather than a large, crowded swimming complex.

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Nanji Hangang Park Water Playground

Best for: Spacious riverside water play, western Seoul, and visitors combining swimming with Nanji Hangang Park or the nearby camping area.

Nanji has one broad water-play area:

• Total area: approximately 3,500 m²

• Maximum depth: 1 metre

It is large enough to feel more open than some of the smaller neighbourhood water playgrounds, while still being relatively shallow. (Seoul City Government)

Address:
482-454 Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Public transport:
Bus 9707 stops near Nanji Hangang Park, followed by an approximately ten-minute walk. From World Cup Stadium Station on Subway Line 6, the walk may take approximately 30–40 minutes, so a bus or taxi is usually more practical.

Telephone:
+82-70-7715-3934 (Hangang)

Saturday DJ programme

From August 8 through August 30, a DJ performance programme is scheduled at Nanji every Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It is included with normal admission. (Hangang)

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4. Swimming Clothes and Required Equipment

Everyone entering the water must wear:

• A proper swimsuit or suitable swimming clothing

• A swimming cap

A baseball-style cap is accepted in place of a traditional swimming cap. Visitors arriving without appropriate swimming clothes or head covering may be refused water entry. (Seoul City Government)

A rash guard is a practical option because it offers sun protection and is widely worn at Korean outdoor swimming facilities. Visitors should also bring:

• Towel

• Change of clothes

• Waterproof bag for wet items

• Goggles

• Sunscreen

• Sun hat

• Shower supplies

• Drinking water

• Snacks or a packed meal

• Waterproof phone case

• Identification and age documents for children receiving free entry

The city specifically recommends bringing plenty of drinking water and allows visitors to bring snacks and packed meals. (Seoul City Government)

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5. Equipment That Is Not Allowed

For safety and crowd management, the following items are prohibited:

• Large inflatable tubes

• Swimming fins

• Snorkels

• Kickboards

• Pull buoys

• Hand paddles

• Other large or specialised training equipment

Small, ordinary flotation tubes and approved life jackets may be used where permitted. Children entering pools intended for teenagers or adults must wear an approved flotation device and remain with a guardian. (Seoul City Government)

Visitors planning to buy a tube in Korea should choose a modestly sized one rather than a very large novelty float.

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6. Rules for Children

Infants and children cannot enter without a parent or guardian.

For organised groups, at least one adult guardian is required for every four children. Guardians must remain responsible for the children rather than watching from a distant seating or picnic area. (Seoul City Government)

Pool depth should not be treated as a substitute for supervision. Even the adult pools are generally no more than one metre deep, but younger children may still need life jackets or tubes and must follow the instructions of safety personnel.

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7. Shade, Tents, Lockers, and Rest Areas

Free parasols are available in limited numbers. Official guidance states that approximately one parasol is provided for every four visitors, while the Korean facility guidance describes them as available on a first-come, first-served basis. Arriving early is therefore advisable on weekends. (Seoul City Government)

Visitors may bring a picnic mat or an approved shade tent. The official 2026 guidance specifically notes:

• At Ttukseom, only pop-up-style tents are permitted.

• At Yeouido and Nanji, ordinary shade tents are permitted.

Tent placement and size may still be controlled by staff, especially when the facility is crowded. (Seoul City Government)

Valuables should be placed in designated lockers. The facilities do not accept responsibility for lost belongings, so passports, large amounts of cash, jewellery, and unnecessary electronics are best left at the hotel. (Seoul City Government)

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8. Hygiene and Safety

Before entering the water, visitors should shower and complete a short warm-up or stretching routine.

Anyone with an infectious eye condition, skin infection, or another illness that could affect public hygiene may be refused admission. Visitors must not spit or blow their nose in the water. (Hangang)

All visitors must follow instructions from lifeguards and facility staff. Failure to comply may result in removal from the premises. Smoking inside the facility should also be avoided. (Hangang)

Seoul has installed CCTV cameras, English-language signs, and additional safety personnel at the facilities. The city also states that water-quality inspections are conducted daily, with additional detailed testing carried out regularly during the operating season. (파이낸셜뉴스)

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9. Tickets and Online Booking

Tickets can generally be purchased at the entrance during operating hours. The official Seoul guidance specifically confirms entrance ticket sales for Ttukseom Swimming Pool and Jamsil Water Playground. (Seoul City Government)

Some facilities also provide online reservations through Naver Maps. Visitors should search for the Korean or English name of the relevant pool in Naver Maps and check whether a reservation button appears on the venue page. Availability may differ by facility and date. (Hangang)

Foreign visitors without a Korean Naver account or Korean payment method may find on-site ticket purchase easier. On hot weekends, however, arriving before the preferred swimming period is wise because ticket lines and entry waiting times can become long.

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10. Best Time to Visit

For families with young children, arriving near the 9:00 a.m. opening time offers cooler temperatures, shorter queues, and a better chance of finding shade.

Visitors interested in the evening atmosphere should choose Ttukseom, Yeouido, Jamsil, or Nanji, which remain open until 10:00 p.m. under the current late-summer schedule. Gwangnaru and Yanghwa close at 6:00 p.m. (Seoul City Government)

Because water entry stops between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. and again between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., arriving just before those breaks may result in a long wait. A practical plan is to enter during one of these periods:

• Morning visit: approximately 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon

• Afternoon visit: approximately 1:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

• Evening visit: approximately 7:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.

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11. Recommended Choices for Foreign Visitors

For the simplest first visit, choose Ttukseom. It is only a short walk from the subway and offers the greatest variety of pools.

For a central location and evening entertainment, choose Yeouido.

For families staying around Lotte World or southeastern Seoul, choose Jamsil.

For toddlers and a quieter daytime visit, consider Gwangnaru or Yanghwa.

For a spacious riverside atmosphere and Saturday-night DJ events, choose Nanji, although its public-transport access is less convenient than Ttukseom’s.

These recommendations are practical comparisons based on each facility’s pool depth, size, transport access, and operating programme. (Seoul City Government)

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12. Final Checklist

Before leaving for the pool, make sure you have:

• Swimsuit or rash guard

• Swimming cap or baseball cap

• Towel

• Change of clothes

• Sunscreen

• Drinking water

• Waterproof bag

• Small flotation tube or life jacket, when needed

• Original proof of age for children aged five and under

• Payment method for admission

• Naver Maps or another Korean navigation application

Use public transportation whenever possible. Roads and parking areas around Hangang Park become heavily congested during hot weekends and evening events. (Seoul City Government)

For multilingual tourism assistance, visitors may contact the Korea Travel Hotline by dialling 1330 in Korea. Assistance is available in languages including English, Japanese, and Chinese. (VISITKOREA - Imagine Your Korea)

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Important Reminder

The 2026 Hangang Park swimming season ends on August 30, 2026. Operating hours, water entry, performances, and facility access may change because of heavy rain, flooding, extreme weather, maintenance, or safety inspections. Checking the official Hangang Park or Seoul Metropolitan Government announcement on the morning of your visit is strongly recommended. (Seoul City Government)