Sejongno (Korean: 세종로), also known as Sejong-daero, is a street that runs through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The street is 600 meters in length, but due to its central location it is of great symbolic importance. It points north to Gwanaksan and Bukhansan (Mountains), and the Joseon Dynasty palace, Gyeongbokgung. It is also of historical significance as the location for royal administrative buildings and features statues of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Joseon Dynasty and King Sejong the Great of Joseon.
Sejong-daero looking southwards, fair on the pedestrian stretch
Sejong-daero; with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on the left in 2006 with 16-lanes of traffic
Sejong-daero in 2012, after the deduction from 16-lanes to 10-lanes of traffic, following the construction of Gwanghwamun Plaza with the statues of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin on the left
Sejong-daero in 2012, with the statues of the King Sejong the Great of Joseon on the right and Gwanghwamun on the left.
The Downtown Seoul, also known as Seoul Central Business District or Sadaemun-An is traditional city center and central business district of Seoul, located through Gwanghwamun of Jongno District and Seoul Station of Jung District along the Sejong-daero and Jong-ro. For its time-honored and unique geographic status in Seoul, the Downtown is usually just called as 'The Central Business District ', or sometimes as 'Gwanghwamun Business District' for outstanding landmark 'Gwanghwamun' at the heart of it.
Picture of Downtown Seoul taken from Inwangsan, 2015
In 1928, local government of Keijō designated frontyard of City Hall as its geographic city center (都心), where is nowadays Seoul Plaza.
Built 1977 in front of the Seoul Station, Daewoo Group's Headquarter building is a landmark symbolizing 1970s of South Korea's rapid growth. It is nowadays named as 'Seoul Square'.
Restored in 2004, walled by high-rise office buildings on both side, standing as a eco-friendly linear park of stream between Jongno District and Jung District, the Cheonggyecheon is a soul of 21th century Downtown Seoul.
