Seokchon Lake: Jamsil’s Man-Made Lake Left Behind by the Lost Songpanaru

The 1925 Eulchuk Year Great Flood Erases Songpa Ferry

The Han River originally flowed in two branches. The Songpa River, whose waters passed through present-day Seokchon Lake, was the main channel, while the Sincheon River, now the main channel of the Han River, was originally a tributary. Along the banks of the Songpa River stood Songpajin, a large ferry terminal located on the route from the provinces to Hanyang, and thanks to this geographic advantage, a major market known as Songpa Market developed there.

However, when Seokchon-ri and Songpa-ri were submerged in the 1925 Eulchuk Year Great Flood, Songpa Market also disappeared. The flood dramatically changed the course of the Han River: the Sincheon River, originally a tributary, became the new main channel, while the Songpa River, formerly the main channel, was relegated to a tributary. The waterway, where the southern Songpa River and northern Sincheon River had been connected around an island called Burido formed by accumulated sediment, was left in its present lake form during the subsequent Jamsil development process.

1969–1990: From Landfill to Artificial Lake

In 1969, Seoul City began a riverbed improvement project for the Han River's main channel and filled in this waterway, though part of it was retained in lake form. As the Jamsil District development plan proceeded in 1971, Seoul City artificially blocked the flowing river water and created present-day Seokchon Lake as an artificial lake. Seoul City designated the lake as a planned lake park site and invested approximately KRW 5.8 billion from 1978 to 1984 to develop it into a park.

However, because water circulation facilities were not considered during its development, oxygen shortages caused the water to decay, while pollutants from street food stalls around the lake flowed in, severely worsening water quality. As water-quality management fell down Seoul City's list of fiscal priorities, private investment was discussed; the interests of Lotte Group, which wanted to develop West Lake, aligned with those of the city, and it was agreed that Lotte World would handle both lake development and water-quality management. Accordingly, on March 24, 1990, Magic Island, the outdoor theme park of Lotte World Adventure, opened at West Lake. Magic Island covers approximately 19,191㎡, accounting for about 10% of the lake's total water surface area of 217,850㎡.

After Lotte World was built in the late 1980s, the district office also actively pursued environmental cleanup, giving the lake its present appearance. Seokchon Lake, originally owned by Seoul City, was transferred to Songpa-gu on July 4, 1988. Seokchon Lake is currently public property owned by Songpa-gu, Seoul.

East Lake and West Lake, Divided by Songpa-daero: Two Lakes with Different Characters

Seokchon Lake has an area of 217,850㎡, a freshwater volume of 6.36 million tons, and an average depth of 4.5m. After the lake was created, Songpa-daero was built through it, dividing it into East Lake and West Lake; the combined circumference of the two lakes is 2.5km. Despite their names, West Lake belongs to Jamsil-dong and East Lake belongs to Sincheon-dong, meaning Seokchon-dong is not actually included on either side of the lake.

Based on Songpa-daero, East Lake offers a jogging course, while West Lake has abundant attractions, including Lotte World Magic Island and Seoul Nori Madang. East Lake is quiet and tranquil, whereas West Lake is somewhat noisy and dynamic due to Magic Island. When Lotte built the promenade bridge (Seokchon Lake Bridge) in 2019, it became possible to walk continuously between the East Lake and West Lake paths without going out onto the road; previously, they could only be accessed via Jamsil Lake Bridge.

East Lake: 5 Minutes from Jamsil Station Exit 2; West Lake: 10 Minutes — Practical Access Guide

East Lake is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Jamsil Station on Subway Line 2 or Exit 1 of Seokchon Station on Line 8. For West Lake, it takes about 10 minutes on foot from Exit 10 of Jamsil Station on Line 8 or Exit 3 of Jamsil Station on Line 2. If using Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 9, it is 560m from Exit 2 of Seokchon Gobun Station.

Jamsil Station is a transfer station between Lines 2 and 8, but because the Line 8 platform is on a curved section, the transfer distance between the two lines is relatively long at more than approximately 200m, so it is advisable to allow ample transfer time. When using the Jamsil Metropolitan Transfer Center, Exit 2-2 connects directly to the east side of the lake and Exit 2-3 to the west side; Exit 2-2 also has an elevator.

Parking: Start with Songpa-gu Office Parking Lot No. 2 and Saemaeul Market Public Parking Lot

The East Lake parking lot at Seokchon Lake, converted into Songpa-gu Office Parking Lot No. 2, has 30 spaces, including 2 accessible spaces, and operates 24 hours a day year-round. The first 30 minutes are free, after which KRW 500 is added per 5 minutes, up to KRW 50,000 per day. Songpa-gu converted this space, which had originally operated as a private parking lot, into a public parking lot after consultations.

The public parking lot near Saemaeul Market (Seokchonhosu-ro 80–88) is small, with a total of 9 spaces and a fee of KRW 250 per 5 minutes. These parking lots are public facilities operated by the Songpa-gu Facilities Management Corporation, and real-time remaining space availability can be checked on its website.

Early-April Lake Cherry Blossom Festival: Ten Days of 1,100 Blooming Cherry Trees

The 2025 Lake Cherry Blossom Festival was held from April 2 to 6 under the theme “Beautiful Spring, Cherry Blossom Story.” More than 1,100 king cherry trees line the 2.5km walking trail, while several weeping cherry trees with branches hanging over the lake add to its charm. At 6 p.m. on April 2, the festival's opening day, an opening performance was held at the East Lake waterfront stage.

The festival highlight was the “Tunnel of Light” along the promenade, where landscape lighting installed around the cherry trees softly spread over fully blossomed petals to create a dreamlike atmosphere. For safety management, approximately 200 safety personnel and volunteers were deployed in cooperation with police and fire stations, and one-way pedestrian traffic was encouraged on the walking path. According to the Korea Forest Service's 2025 spring flowering forecast, cherry blossoms begin in Jeju in mid-March and spread nationwide around early April; Seoul's festival schedule coincides with this pattern.

Seoul Nori Madang, Opened in 1984, and Free Lakeside Art Galleries

Seoul Nori Madang, at the end of West Lake, is an open-air performance venue with a circular stage, built on December 25, 1984, to widely promote Korean folk customs and traditional games. It hosts approximately 120 performances annually, mainly featuring intangible cultural heritage, every Saturday and Sunday, with an average audience of about 1,300 people. Songpa Sandae Nori, performed and passed down here, is National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 49 and Seoul's only remaining mask dance; it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 30, 2022. All performances are free, and there are no performances in July and August.

On the East Lake waterfront is “The Gallery Lake,” a Songpa-gu public art museum. Admission is free; it is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed every Monday and on public holidays. The cultural space on the West Lake side was originally the site of the restaurant “The Dining Lake,” then officially opened as a resident cultural facility in May 2020 after the operating contract expired. It is now called “Seokchon Lake Atelier” and operates from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, closing on Mondays and public holidays.

From Summer Saturday Concerts to Winter Luminarie

In summer, Saturday concerts are held at the waterfront stage, adding a special atmosphere amid the lakeside tree shade and lake breeze. In autumn, red-tinted fallen leaves blend with the lake in the cool autumn breeze, announcing the season.

In winter, a light festival called “Autumn and Winter at the Lake, and Luminarie” is held. Under the slogan “Love & Dream Forever,” tunnels of light and installations illuminate the nighttime lake along its perimeter. “Lake Bridge Gallery Media Art” has been separately created beneath Jamsil Lake Bridge, which connects East Lake and West Lake. The snow-covered path and frozen lake create a distinctive charm unseen in other seasons.

East Lake for Quiet, West Lake for Liveliness — Who Each Suits and Does Not Suit

Because Magic Island is directly adjacent to West Lake, the sounds of Gyro Drop rising and falling can be heard continuously while walking along the path; for a quiet stroll, the relatively uncrowded East Lake is a better choice. Conversely, if you want to enjoy rides with children in one outing, the route from West Lake directly to Lotte World Adventure is more convenient.

Right beside the lake is the “Seoul Sky” observatory in Lotte World Tower, which stands 555m tall and has 123 floors, offering views across Seoul from the highest point in Korea. South of the lake is Seokchon Lake Cafe Street, lined with terrace-style cafes and Italian restaurants. Outdoor business operations are permitted in this area, so on fine days you can enjoy a relaxed coffee break outdoors.