Seosunra-gil, the path used by police officers in the Joseon Dynasty
Located in the heart of Jongno, Seoul, but boasting a quiet landscape, ‘Sunragil’ is a road that is so unknown that even Seoulites don’t know about it. Seosunragil, the road that the police used during the Joseon Dynasty, continues along the old walls of Jongmyo, which still retain the traces of the past, behind the bustling Jongno 3-ga. Behind the winding Jongno jewelry alley, cafes and restaurants have opened, and it is gradually emerging as a hot place. Let’s quietly walk along the footsteps of the police officers between the stone walls that quietly stretch between the present and the past.
A path along the western wall of Jongmyo Shrine.
In the middle of Jongno, which is crowded with people, there is a quiet neighborhood where time seems to have stopped. It is Jongmyo, which houses the ancestral tablets of the kings of the Joseon Dynasty, and Seosun-ra-gil, which runs along its western wall. The road that runs east from Jongmyo is called Dongsun-ra-gil, and the road that runs west is called Seosun-ra-gil. These names are derived from the system of patrols by the Joseon Dynasty’s police officers called Sunra. There is a reason why Seosun-ra-gil, which has such a long history, is not well known. Gwonong-dong and Bongik-dong in Jongno-gu, where Seosun-ra-gil passes, were neighborhoods where government offices and fields supplied vegetables to the palace during the Joseon Dynasty, and where people who worked in the palace, such as eunuchs and musuri, lived. However, after the fall of the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period, the neighborhood fell into decline. Around 1995, the surrounding area was reorganized for urban development and the road was rebuilt. This is the current Seosun-ra-gil.
“Between the stone walls that stretch quietly between the present and the past.
Let’s walk quietly, following in the footsteps of the patrolmen.”
Artisans and cafes gathered under a quiet wall
Seosun-la-gil is a road that connects Jongno 3-ga 45-4 to Gwonong-dong 26. At first, the road did not attract much attention even though it was built. At first, the streets were filled with workshops of Jongno jewelers, jewelry processing factories, and small jewelry shops. However, after 2010, jewelry craftsmen began to gather one by one, and young artists and entrepreneurs began to settle in. After workshops opened on Seosun-la-gil and it was gradually renovated, the number of visitors increased, and as its popularity grew, many cute restaurants and cafes opened.
The charm of low buildings, large windows, and walls
Although it is close to Anguk Station and Jongno 3-ga Station, the moment you enter Seosun-la-gil, a world far from the bustle unfolds. On the high wall guarding Jongmyo Shrine and the quiet road that stretches for about 1km, there are many shops armed with their own individuality. Young jewelry designers’ workshops are scattered here and there in the alleys, displaying beautiful works made with novel ideas in their show windows. Cafes and restaurants have a ceiling height restriction, so they are no more than two stories high, and the low height and stone wall road harmoniously blend in. In addition, each store maintains the charm of the street through interiors that bring out the natural charm of materials such as wood, brick, and tile. As they face the stone wall, most of the stores have large windows in the front. You can fully enjoy the charm of Seosun-la-gil, which allows you to savor the charm of Jongmyo Shrine and the quiet road.
Address│Gwonnong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
at Jongno 3-ga Station on Subway Lines 1 and 3, walk 5 minutes toward Jongmyo from Exit 7
