I visited a town known as Haebangchon, or “Liberation Village,” named after the people who settled here following Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, including returnees and refugees.

The 108 Stairs in Haebangchon are said to have once served as the approach to a Shinto shrine during the Japanese colonial period. The shrine is long gone, but the stairs remain, creating a strangely evocative space where traces of the past linger in an otherwise ordinary residential neighborhood.
The prominent high-rise in the distance is Centreville Asterium Seoul, located east of Seoul Station.

Just below Namsan Circular Road lies Haebangchon Sinheung Market. Today, stylish restaurants and cafés line its narrow alleys, and little of the old market atmosphere remains.
I arrived at ten in the morning, when the market’s narrow alleys were still empty. The quiet streets seemed to be waiting patiently for the bustle of the afternoon.

From the narrow alleys around the market, Namsan Seoul Tower is never far from view, watching over the neighborhood.
I made my way up to Namsan Circular Road, just above the market. The city lights must be beautiful here after dark.