From a 1945 Refugee Village to the 2021 Cloud Roof Market — A Walk Through Haebangchon Alleys in Seoul

After Liberation in 1945, the “Haebangchon” that emerged on the 5~25-degree slopes of Namsan

Haebangchon is a village formed after Liberation in 1945, as compatriots returning from overseas, displaced people from the North, and refugees from the Korean War created temporary shelters at the foot of Namsan. Seoul Future Heritage describes Haebangchon as the area around 22, Sinheung-ro 11na-gil, Yongsan-gu, and records that the fact that it was an undeveloped vacant slope until the Japanese colonial period became the background for settlers to establish themselves.

The village name is closely tied to the process of its formation as a “village created after liberation.” In 1949, the Seoncheon County Residents Association established Haebang Church, and in the 1960s, centered on Haebangchon Ogeori, Boseong-gil, Sinheung-gil, Haebangchon-gil, and Huam Saessak-gil formed a residential framework similar to what exists today. Haebangchon was designated a Seoul Future Heritage site in 2013.

How the “Cloud” at 95-9, Sinheung-ro changed the market in 1953

Haebangchon Sinheung Market served as a market for residents' daily necessities from 1953 onward. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was a distribution hub where sweaters, gloves, and socks made on home knitting machines throughout Haebangchon were gathered, packaged, and sent nationwide, but it declined after the 1990s as industry scaled up and factories moved away.

The market's current appearance is most clearly defined by its roof. In 2018, a design competition selected the “Seoul Chaeung” proposal, and in 2021 an arcade roof covering the entire market was installed. The Cloud roof, made of a transparent ETFE membrane structure, brings light deep into the alley, and at night the lighting reveals the shape of the passageway. The address of Sinheung Market Cloud is 95-9, Sinheung-ro, Yongsan-gu, and the public passage is open year-round.

From 45, Sinheung-ro 20-gil to Sinheung Market, the first route within about 300 m

The reference point, 45, Sinheung-ro 20-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is Huam-dong 406-55, and its coordinates are 37.5474801 N, 126.9840426 E. Because this location sits on the southwestern slope of Haebangchon, the route toward Sinheung Market and Haebangchon Ogeori includes continuous uphill and downhill sections. Rather than planning by straight-line distance on a map, it is better to walk while accounting for stairs and ramps.

If you include one meal or cafe stop, the Sinheung Market alley, and the 108 Steps, 90 to 120 minutes is appropriate. If you only pass through the market briefly, it takes 30 to 40 minutes; if you add a rooftop visit or waiting for a restaurant, it can extend beyond 2 hours. The streets themselves can be used 24 hours a day and admission is free, but restaurants, bars, and cafes each have different opening and break times.

• Short course: 45, Sinheung-ro 20-gil -> Sinheung Market -> Haebangchon Ogeori, about 40 minutes
• Standard course: Sinheung Market -> 108 Steps -> alleys toward Huam-dong, about 90 to 120 minutes
• Night course: enter the market before sunset -> roof lighting and views of central Seoul, about 70 to 90 minutes

Separating the 1.2 km from Exit 2 of Noksapyeong Station and the role of Yongsan 02

Official Seoul tourism guidance gives the distance from Exit 2 of Noksapyeong Station on Line 6 to the Haebangchon alleys as 1.2 km. Since this is not a flat stroll but a climb up the Namsan hillside, it is more efficient to combine the village bus with walking rather than walking straight up from Noksapyeong Station if you have luggage or if the weather is hot.

The Yongsan 02 bus stops at Haebangchon Ogeori stop (03-588, 03-517), and it is about 1 minute from the stop to the central alleys of Haebangchon. To get closer to 45, Sinheung-ro 20-gil, you can also take bus 402 or 405 and get off at Huam Yaksuteo stop, then walk about 2 minutes. From Sookmyung Women's Univ. Station on Line 4, the walk to the center of Haebangchon is about 18 to 20 minutes.

The 108 Steps, once the approach road to Gyeongseong Hoguk Shinto in 1943, and the significance of the elevator installed in 2018

Haebangchon's 108 Steps are, as the name says, 108 steps. They were the approach road to Gyeongseong Hoguk Shinto, built by the Japanese Empire in 1943 to honor war dead from its war of aggression, and the shrine forcibly enshrined not only Japanese soldiers but also the memorial tablets of Koreans who died under forced labor. The current stairs are more than a photo spot; they are a place where traces of colonial wartime mobilization can be read.

In November 2018, Seoul installed and began operating the city's first inclined elevator on these stairs. The elevator stops at a midpoint on the stairs, while the stone steps on both sides were left in place. However, the entire Haebangchon area is not an uninterrupted barrier-free route. Because the 5 to 25-degree slopes and narrow alleys continue, it is more realistic to plan wheelchair or stroller movement around the gentler roads of Sinheung-ro rather than the 108 Steps section.

Weekday afternoons rather than Friday evenings, the best time to read the Sinheung Market alleys

The public alleys of Haebangchon and the Sinheung Market passageways are open year-round, but visiting shops is most stable in the afternoon. Since there is a mix of stores that operate only during lunch, restaurants that take an afternoon break, and bars that open in the evening, mornings have many closed doors, while evenings bring both dining waits and pedestrian congestion.

A May 2026 Korea.net report introduced the streetscape created by the old brick buildings, new shops, and arcade roof of Sinheung Market. If your purpose is to see the market, it is efficient to view the alley structure and roof on weekdays between 14:00 and 17:00, and to schedule meals separately according to the opening hours of the place you want to visit. Even when it rains, the market passage under the arcade is easy to walk, but the stairs and slopes throughout Haebangchon itself can be slippery.

The narrow roads of Haebangchon Ogeori and the public parking lot charging 300 won per 10 minutes

It is not recommended to drive deep into the alleys. Haebangchon Ogeori is where steep uphill roads and several branching streets meet, and Seoul's public safety materials also mention traffic congestion and the risk of pedestrian accidents. There is no visitor parking space inside Sinheung Market, and the roads in the residential area are used both by residents and delivery vehicles.

If you are using a car, it is better to set your destination as the Haebangchon Sinheung Market Public Parking Lot or the Yongsan 2(i)-ga Sowol Public Parking Lot near the market entrance. The posted fee is 300 won per 10 minutes, and it is difficult to expect available spaces on weekends. Information on Haebangchon tourism and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Local 100 program can be obtained from the Yongsan-gu Culture, Sports and Tourism guidance line at 02-2199-7554.

• Public alleys and Sinheung Market passage: accessible 24 hours a day, year-round
• Admission fee: free
• Parking: no parking inside the market; use nearby public parking lots
• Recommended footwear: sneakers with good grip or low-heeled shoes