My Seoul in My Hand | [Kim Hyun Jung’s One-Picture Diary] Our Hyeon-dong Loves It Too~
Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, in her column '[Kim Hyun Jung's One-Picture Diary]' for the Seoul city media outlet [My Seoul in My Hand], introduced a painting of the 'Naesoong Girl' walking her dog 'Hyeon-dong' along the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail. She also guided readers through the features of each of the trail's three sections, now fully open, and the Seoul–Chuncheon cycling course.
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"Naesoong: The Guest Steals the Show" Ink and light color on hanji, collage, 2017
The old railway line to Chuncheon that trains once ran along has now become a lovely footpath for families, couples, and friends to walk together. Since train service was halted in December 2010, the abandoned tracks have been transformed into a green park in three phases. Phase 1 (Gongdeok Railway Crossing No. 2 to Yuksa Samgeori, 1.9km) opened in May 2015, Phase 2 (Gyeongchun Railway Bridge to the entrance of Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 1.2km) opened in October 2016, and finally, in November 2017, the full length of Phase 3 (Yuksa Samgeori to Samyuk Bridge, 2.5km) opened, completing the entire trail.
Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung's 'Naesoong Girl' also headed out for a walk with her own dog, 'Hyeon-dong' (named as if he were 'Hyun Jung's little brother,' something she'd always wished for since childhood), at the 'Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail.' Chasing after an endlessly excited Hyeon-dong wasn't easy! Still, following the nostalgic old railway [Illegible — scan damage]... the 'Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail' has a different charm in each section, so be sure to explore them all. Phase 1 offers the warmth you feel in a dense low-rise residential neighborhood, Phase 2 features vegetable gardens and gardens tended by citizens themselves, and Phase 3 lets you encounter the old-fashioned Hwarangdae Station and a forest railway.
On a nice day, we also highly recommend cycling the route that connects Seoul to Chuncheon via Namyangju (following the existing Gyeongchun Line bike path).
Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung creates fresh, refreshing '21st-century genre paintings' that combine traditional Korean painting techniques with vivid images of everyday life. She has drawn particular attention with her 'Naesoong Story' series, which paints the gap between outward appearance and inner reality captured by the word 'naesoong.' She was also the first Korean art figure selected for Forbes' '2017 30 Under 30' list.