5 de octubre de 2019
The story and transformation of Seoul as a political theater and of its public spaces during the 20th century: The mirrors of Korea, Part 1 Carolina E. Santiago Ă lvarez
Introduction: Cities and their public spaces are the mirrors of their nations. Take for example European cities like Paris, and Rome. Their multilayered facets and landscape paint a real reflection of their imaginary nation. Seoul, the capital city of South Korea and its public spaces are also the arenas and theaters from where Korea as a whole is mirrored to the world. I (and my mother) had the opportunity to reside in Seoul during the summer of 2019 because I had the honor of attending a 3-week intensive language program at Seoul National University (SNU). I quickly fell in love with the city piece by piece. Every street and every corner offers an exciting new adventure and its public spaces filled my eyes with wonder. Public Spaces such as; the traditional markets of Gwangjang and Namdaemun to the palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, to the monuments of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun Sin that watch over Gwanghwamun Plaza, and the world famous Namsan Tower, all of them filled me with a sense of belonging and inclusion in Korean History, Tradition and Culture and left a lasting deep impression in my soul. Public spaces, as we know them today by their western outlook, began appearing during the French Revolution in Paris. Open spaces, parks and streets were used by the French in order to become French, during the rise and fall of the Republic, the Reign That is me, dressed in my very own 22
traditional Korean costume of Hanbok
