Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) President and CEO Kim Tae-seung, sixth from left, SR CEO Jeong Wang-guk, fourth from left, and other officials join a ribbon-cutting during an opening ceremony for “Seoul Station 2026: Where Memory Meets Movement” inside the former Seoul Station building, now named Culture Station Seoul 284, Wednesday. Courtesy of KORAIL
A closed railway platform that had been the de facto center of Korea’s railroad operation until its closure in 2004 has been transformed into a gallery that travels back to the venue's past.
Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), a state-run railway operator, hosted an opening ceremony for a new gallery at the old station building on Wednesday, a day before its public opening. The gallery will run through Aug. 17.
Built in 1925 during the Japanese colonial rule (1910-45), the former station building serviced trains until KTX high-speed trains began operating at the new Seoul Station next to the century-old building. In 2011, the old building was reopened as Culture Station Seoul 284, serving as a cultural space and hosting occasional art events since.
The gallery, named “Seoul Station 2026: Where Memory Meets Movement,” introduces media, installations and archived photos prepared by 15 artists. The gallery, run by art director Kim Mi-youn, invites visitors to explore the old station, which has preserved most of its functions including the stationmaster’s room, VIP Room, the waiting hall and Grill, the country’s first Western-style restaurant.
