
The former Seoul Station started operating in a 33m2 (10 pyeong) wooden building in July of 1900 with the opening of the Kyeong-in railway line. It was originally located near Yeomcheon Bridge and was called Namdaemun Station. In September 1925, the South Manchurian Railway Company built a new renaissance style structure and changed its name to Gyeongseong Station. Not only was the newly built architecture grand in its scale but was the talk of the town due to its unique facade and domed roof. Constructed mostly of red bricks, the floor of the Central Hall on the ground floor was covered with granite and the walls were covered with man-made stone. The wooden floor inside the building’s VIP Lounge was covered with birch wood and a western style restaurant was located on the 2nd floor. Later, with the rapid development of the capital city Seoul along with the ever-growing transportation needs, the South and West Annexes were added in the 1960’s and operated separately from the main station. Since January of 2004 with the completion of the newly constructed privately funded station, the former Seoul Station was shut down. Since the completion of its restoration in 2011, it has been operating as a multidisciplinary cultural complex.
| Constructed by | South Manchurian Railway Company |
|---|---|
| Designed by | Tsukamoto Yasushi (塚本靖) |
| Built by | Shimizu Corporation ![]() |
| Construction Dates | June 1, 1922 - September 30, 1925 |
![]() |
Jul | Namdaemun (South Gate) Stop built |
|---|---|---|
![]() |
Namdaemun Station renamed Gyeongseong Station - original wooden building demolished and new train station erected |
|
![]() |
Sep. 30 | Gyeongseong Station (current Culture Station Seoul 284) built |
| Oct. 15 | Gyeongseong Station begins its operations | |
| Oct. 25 | Gyeongseong Station’s western style restaurant on the 2nd floor opens | |
![]() |
Dec. 1 | Gyeongseong - Busan luxury express passenger train “Akatsuki” begins its operation (6 hours and 45minutes) |
![]() |
Nov. 25 | Busan - Bejing express train line changed to Gyeongseong - Beijing express line |
![]() |
Nov. 1 | Gyeongseong Station renamed Seoul Station |
![]() |
Dec. 30 | Southern Annex of Seoul Station built |
![]() |
Feb. 14 | Western Annex of Seoul Station built |
![]() |
May 10 | Korean National Railroad’s Seoul Station West Annex Office construction begins |
![]() |
Jan. 5 | Korean National Railroad moves from Seoul Station to the new West Annex |
| Sep. 18 | Korean National Railroad West Annex Office completed | |
![]() |
Jan. 22 | Raised walkway built to connect Seoul Station and West Annex |
![]() |
Sep. 25 | Designated Historic Site 284 |
![]() |
First privately-funded station erected | |
![]() |
December | Seoul Cultural Center opens |
![]() |
Apr. 1, | Seoul Station Railroad Museum opens |
![]() |
KTX (Korea Train Express) starts its operation | |
![]() |
Aug. 9, | Culture Station Seoul 284 opens its doors after its restoration back to its original appearance |
![]() |
Apr. 2, | Station Seoul 284 officially launched |
Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism http://www.publicdesign.go.kr