Yongsan District

Yongsan District

Yongsan District (Yongsan-gu) is a district of Seoul, South Korea. Its name means "Dragon Hill", derived from the hanja characters for dragon (龍 yong) and hill/mountain (山 san). It sits to the North of the Han River under the shadow of Seoul Tower. Geographically, it is located right in the center of Seoul. It is home to roughly 250,000 people, and is divided into 20 dong, or neighborhoods. Notable locations in Yongsan District include Yongsan Station, the sprawling Yongsan Electronics Market, Haebangchon and the Itaewon commercial district. Itaewon is widely known as one of the most ethnically diverse regions in Korea. Many foreigners gravitate towards its shopping centers and nightlife.

Yongsan District is also the site of Yongsan Garrison, a large United States military base in the heart of Seoul. Because of the scarcity of land in central Seoul, as well as the consolidation of U.S. Forces throughout the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. and South Korean governments have agreed to relocate the facility out of Seoul to Pyeongtaek by 2013. After its relocation, the 243 ha of its land is planned to be developed into a large park.

Sookmyung Women's University is located in the western portion of this district. Nearby, the legendary bar "Doors" has been a hub of Sookmyung social life for years. There is also a growing community of Muslims and others from the Middle East due to the location of Seoul's only mosque, Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon. This immigration trend has caused a number of halal restaurants and shops to open in the area.

N Seoul Tower has been re-opened. The tower is situated at the top of Namsan. The tower was built as a television transmitter.

Yongsan is served by Seoul Subway Line 1, Line 4, Line 6, and the Jungang Line.