Hyochang Park
| Hyochang Park | |
|---|---|
Statue in the park (2015) | |
| Location | 04311 177-18, Hyochangwon-ro, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea |
| Coordinates | 37°32′42″N 126°57′40″E / 37.54500°N 126.96111°E |
| Area | 12.33 ha (30.47 acres) |
| Established |
|
| Etymology | "filial and prosperous" |
| Administered by | Government of Yongsan District |
| Open | Every day |
| Connecting transport | Hyochang Park station |
| Designated | 1989-06-08 |
| Reference no. | 330 |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 효창공원 |
| Hanja | 孝昌公園 |
| RR | Hyochang gongwon |
| MR | Hyoch'ang kongwŏn |
Hyochang Park (Korean: 효창공원) is a park in Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1876 as a cemetery for the Korean royal family, it is now simultaneously a park for leisure and a memorial for the Korean independence movement. In 1989, the park was designated a Historic Site of South Korea.
The area went by a number of names in its early history, including "Hyochangmyo", "Hyochangwon", and "Kuyongsan'goji". Crown Prince Munhyo and his mother Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong and several other royal family members were buried in the area in the 19th century.
In 1921, the Japanese colonial government turned the park into the first golf course in Korea, with the graves left directly on the course. It was first designated a park in 1940, and the graves were moved out of the park in 1944. After the 1945 liberation of Korea, the remains of eight significant Korean independence activists were buried in the park. There has since been continual conflict over whether the park should be used for recreation or as a memorial to the independence movement.
The park contains the first stadium constructed by South Korea, Hyochang Stadium, and the Kim Koo Museum. It is located near exit 1 of Hyochang Park station of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway.