Ikseon-dongClaimed by the owner

Ikseon-dong is a small neighborhood in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, bordered by Unni-dong, Donui-dong, Nagwon-dong, Yaryong-dong, and Myo-dong. It sits near Samil-daero and Donhwamun-ro and is reachable from Jongno 3-ga station on the subway. The area is known for its dense cluster of hanok (traditional Korean houses) built from the 1920s onward, many of which have been converted into cafes, restaurants, and shops connected by a maze of narrow alleys.

History and development

The name Ikseon-dong dates to an administrative reorganization in April 1914, combining characters from Jeongson-bang and Ikdong, a name that itself came from the long wing corridors (iknang) of Nudong Palace. From the late 1920s to the early 1930s, developer Jeong Se-gwon built the hanok district by buying up large estates, including the former sites of Wanhwa Palace and Nudong Palace, demolishing them, and constructing many small hanok packed closely together. During the Japanese colonial period, artists including female pansori singers lived in the area, and after liberation the neighborhood housed people from various social strata. Ikseon-dong later thrived on gisaeng restaurant (yojeong) tourism before that trade declined; in the latter half of the 20th century it became a home for sexual minorities.

Recent changes

Ikseon-dong has been a tourist attraction since the mid-2010s. Following the hanok preservation district designation in 2018, it drew growing numbers of visitors from 2019 onward as part of a broader retro and newtro trend, and its tightly packed alleys between low hanok became a popular date-course destination in Seoul. Since the late 2010s the neighborhood has been undergoing gentrification, which has brought rapid change along with criticism that its original character is being lost. As of 2020, the resident population was around 1,000.