Old Photos of Seoul from the 1960s to 1980s

Hello everyone! We're Creatrip, your group of Korean travel experts.

Korea has experienced a cultural boom globally in the last decade or two, from hallyu (Korean wave) entailing extremely in-sync K-pop artists to quality Korean movies such as old classic 'Old Boy' and recently renowned 'Parasite.' We often focus on the splendid sides of neon lights and tall skyscrapers, but wouldn't it be meaningful to look back at how the city looked before all of its glory? The city of Seoul has organized over 90,000 photos of it from the 1950s up to 1980s, showcasing its history and a peak into the Seoulite scenes at different points of time.

Source: All historic photos on this blog is from 서울사진아카이브 (Seoul Photo Archives).

Sungnyemun (Namdaemun)

• May 22, 1963

Then

Located close to Seoul Station and City Hall, Namdaemun is one of the 4 main gates of the capital city. It was a busy area of the metropolis then as well with streetcars, which don't exist in the city anymore, as well as buses, cars and pedestrians.

Now

Deoksugung Palace

• Year 1983

Then

Once home to the royal family in the Joseon Dynasty, Deoksugung Palace beholds beauty and elegance to this day.

Now

Sewoon Plaza

• July 26, 1967

Then

Sewoon Plaza, which boasts a 360-degree view of the city, started its construction in the 60's. After years of operating as the centre of electronics gradually became a slum from the rising of Yongsan Electronics Market. Nowadays it's frequented for its cityscape and live music performances by young locals.

Now

Myeongdong

• April 8, 1989

Then

Myeongdong's bustles in the 70's and the 80's were seen by colourful parades and large crowds. The white building on the right of the picture is Myeongdong Theatre.

Now

Hyehwa Daehangno

• May 4, 1985

Then

Home to Sungkyunkwan University's main campus, Hyehwa Daehangno, this area occupied by university students has always been diverse with the local youth culture, exhibitions and plays and party scenes.

Now

Seoul City Hall

• October 23, 1971

Then

A historic landmark of the city, this picture from 1971 shows the subway tracks being constructed in front of the building.

Now

Seoul City Bus

• September 9, 1968

Then

Old Seoul city buses seem more spacious and slightly remind us of little animal trucks too. It's interesting to see that there used to be bus attendants.

Now

City Hall Christmas Tree

• December 22, 1988

Then

Every winter in Seoul, the Christmas tree in the square near the City Hall light up in beautiful lights. It's interesting to see that the history of the Christmas tree goes way back.

Now

Euljiro 1-ga

• Year 1983

Then

Then

From comparing the pictures we can see that not much of Euljiro 1-ga has changed from 40 years ago.

Source: g-rapid.kr

Seoul Metro Line 2

• December 17, 1983

Then

Seoul Metro Line 2 already has a long history of 37 years. From the pictures we can also assume the transition from streetcars to faster metro systems.

Now

Olympic Park

• August 22, 1988

Then

Created for the purpose of hosting the Olympics in 1988, this landmark has been around for over 30 years. The World Peace Gate can also be spotted near Olympic Park Station.

Now

Seoul Olympic Stadium

• September 28, 1988

Then

Initially built for hosting the Olympics, this stadium is now a place for K-pop stars' concerts.

Now

Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun)

• October 12, 1963

Now

Another one of the four gates of Seoul, Dongdaemun has always been filled with hubbubs. Notice the policemen on horses patrolling the area in the 60's.

Then

Seoul Taxis

• October 27, 1986

Then

Modern-day taxis are silver, orange and black in colours, but back in the days, Seoul also had yellow cabs roaming the streets back in the day.

Now

Seoul Station

• October 27, 1986

Then

Have you noticed the teal-coloured dome across from Seoul Station? It was the original Seoul Station in the old times, now replaced by the new Seoul Station and functions as a museum.

Now

Express Bus Terminal

• September 1, 1976

Then

Express Bus Terminal in the 70's was located in a desolated area with nothing much around it. Today, more than 4 decades later, it now functions as the transportation hub that connects Seoul with other cities.

Now

Cheonggyecheon

• August 26, 1967

Then

From the picture above it's hard to compare it to Cheonggyecheon's aesthetics of today. Back then, Cheonggyecheon had rather shabby houses aligned along its streams, functioning as home to locals living in poverty. President Lee's project in 2003 finally remodelled this area into the stunning waters that run along city scenes now.

Now

Seongsu Bridge

• October 15, 1979

Then

Seongsu Bridge is a well-known Hangang bridge that connects Gangdong (East of Han River) and Gangnam (South of Han River). In 1994, the incident of the bridge getting fractured surprised many.

Now

Writing this blog, I felt a deep level of appreciation for the city of Seoul for archiving and organizing photos that manifest city scenes from decades ago. Although policemen on horses and bus attendants cannot be seen in the city anymore, there's something meaningful about knowing that they still live on through these visual records.

Source: All historic photos on this blog is from 서울사진아카이브 (Seoul Photo Archives).