Exploring My New Neighborhood: Independence Park and the Lee Jin-ah Memorial Library
Since moving to a place near Independence Gate Station, I've often taken walks towards Independence Park in July.
If you're a citizen of South Korea, you really should visit the Seodaemun Prison History Hall at least once.
I went a few years ago on March 1st (Independence Movement Day), and the exhibits were really well done. It's a meaningful and touching historical site.
Back then, my husband and I casually mentioned that this neighborhood seemed nice.
I never imagined I'd actually end up living here.
Even then, it wasn't unbearably hot, so morning walks were manageable.
A breeze would occasionally blow,
There are lots of trees, and it's great for walking.
Looking at the photos, you wouldn't think it was hot at all - the magic of freshness! haha
The quality of the restroom murals is amazing!
The colors are beautiful.
I tried filming a video with a beam projected onto the wall.
I had only moved in a few days prior and was still captivated by the forest view, so I was very pleased.
Putting flower pots here would be perfect, but they get in the way, so I moved them. Practicality and aesthetics are always at odds.
That day, I visited the Lee Jin-ah Memorial Library, located behind Independence Park, for the first time.
That day, I didn't know the way and went up these stairs,
But there's a more convenient and cooler forest path that connects from Independence Park.
I heard that the late Lee Jin-ah loved books and libraries so much during her lifetime
That her parents built the library in her name.
A search shows it as the Seodaemun District Public Library, so it seems it was donated to Seodaemun-gu.
That's incredible.
The surroundings are all trees, so it feels like a forest library.
I thought it would be small since it was built privately, but it's quite large,
And it's so nice because it has a forest view on all sides.
One downside is that there's no snack bar.
The digital media room and the newspaper/magazine reading area are together, and it was quiet and nice when I went early in the morning.
On the day I went around noon, almost all the seats were taken.
I really like the window in this digital media room.
I don't like the overly quiet atmosphere of libraries,
And I don't like the stuffiness and smells from not ventilating in summer and winter,
So I'll enjoy that view with the windows open in spring and autumn.
The lounge is also cool and has a great green view, but I couldn't sit there because it was too hot.
When I went with my husband on the weekend with sandwiches, it said that food consumption was prohibited in the lounge,
So we ate outside even though it was very hot, but later I saw other people eating there.
If they had allowed eating since there's no snack bar, that would have been nice. That's the most disappointing thing about the Lee Jin-ah Library.
To pick another thing, the general reference room also has a great green view, but except for this spot, all the blinds were down, which was a shame.
The sunlight wasn't even that strong. If I were the librarian, I would never do that.
At the Lee Jin-ah Library, there are individual seats like this up the stairs,
So there are quite a few more seats than at the Jongno Library, and the cool and refreshing green view is very appealing.
I'll have to attend almost every day when the cool season comes and I can open the windows.
If you go up to the roof, there are bamboo and wooden chairs,
And you can see Inwangsan Mountain clearly.
It was a drizzly day, but except for the heat and humidity,
It was quiet and atmospheric, so I designated it as my secret hideout.
The highlight of the day was the lotus flowers and ducklings I discovered by chance in the pond!! +_+
They were so pretty and cute that I stood there with my umbrella and watched them for a long time.
It's right next to the Yu Gwan-sun statue in Independence Park, so if you're visiting the area, be sure to admire the lotus flowers and ducks.
The next day, I got upset because of a meddling old man while watching the ducks.
I've seen more strange people in the two weeks since I moved to Jongno than in the two years I lived in Songpa. lol
There are so many places to go and things to do in Jongno, but there are also a lot of unique people.
It's a three-dimensional and unique space, so there are many such people.
I'm probably a strange person to someone too, so I'll be careful and try to enjoy the good things.
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