Seodaemun District

Seodaemun District (Korean: 서대문구; RR: Seodaemun-gu) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. It has a population of 313,814 (2010) and has a geographic area of 17.61 km (6.8 sq mi), and is divided into 14 dong (administrative neighborhoods). Seodaemun is located in northwestern Seoul, bordering the city districts of Eunpyeong to the northwest, Mapo to the southwest, Jung to the southeast, and Jongno to the east.
Seodaemun is part of the Seongjeosimni (Outer old Seoul) area and is named after Donuimun, one of the Eight Gates of Seoul which was formerly located within the district. Seodaemun is home to Seodaemun Independence Park, which contains several historic monuments and buildings such as the Seodaemun Prison museum and the Independence Gate.
Seodaemun District consists of 14 "administrative dong"s (haengjeong-dong 행정동).
At one time the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST) had its headquarters in the district.
Seobu District Office of Education under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education operates public schools in Seodaemun District.
There are also numerous private institutions in Seodaemun District offering education for primary and secondary levels.
Private primary and secondary schools:
Private institutions offering higher education in Seodaemun District are Chugye University for the Arts, Ewha Womans University, Kyonggi University, Methodist Theological University, Myongji College, Myongji University, Seoul School of Integrated Sciences & Technologies, Seoul Women's College of Nursing, and Yonsei University.
Seodaemun District also has a public library called Lee Jin Ah Memorial Library. The construction of the library was made possible through a generous donation by the parents of the namesake Lee. Lee's Parents, after losing Lee in a tragic lethal accident, wanted to commemorate the life of their daughter who enjoyed reading. Since the opening on Lee's anniversary in 2005, the main library now has approximately over 76,000 books.
The Korean National Police Agency has its headquarters in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun District.
The district covers 17.6 square kilometers, approximately 2.9% of the total area of Seoul. Seodaemun District is populated by middle and upper-income families.
Seodaemun District incorporates residential areas and historical areas including Bongwon Temple, Sinchon Railway Station (the oldest train station in Seoul) and Seodaemun Prison History Hall. Also it has a historic culture site "Seodaemun Independence Park." This place located at Dongnimmun station, includes a 3.1 independence memorial statue, Independence Gate and more. This educational park is a major tourist attraction of Seodaemun District. Seodaemun District is a Rest Place together with nature surrounded by Mt. Ansan, Mt. Baengnyeonsan and Hongjecheon stream in the city. Also known as Mt. Muaksan, Mt. Ansan has many steep slopes, but because it has an altitude of only 295.5m, it is a favorite hiking trail among locals. There are about ten climbing courses. At the summit, there is Ansan Beacon Mound, with views of Mt. Bukhansan, Mt. Inwangsan, Haegjusanseong Fortress and Hangang River. Mt. Ansan is a highly popular tourist attraction of Seodaemun District. Also, on the Mt. Ansan path, the Seodaemun Museum of Natural History, built by the local governing body, exhibits various geological and biological relics and records. Named after Hongjewon, which was where Chinese envoys were greet and entertained, Hongjecheon Stream was where the women who were forcefully taken to the Qing Dynasty cleansed their bodies upon returning home. The once dried stream was restored and today there is a musical fountain, a water mill, a man-made waterfall and hiking trails.
There are shopping streets for the young, "Walking street" in Sinchon and "Fashion street" near Ewha Womans University. The area has a 66m store of Korean cosmetics brand Skin Food, which has been opened since June 2004 in Changcheon-dong and it also sells Traditional Korean medicine or hanbang.