Banpo-dong

Banpo-dong is a dong, neighborhood of Seocho-gu in Seoul, South Korea.[1][2] Banpo-dong is divided into five different dong which are Banpobon-dong, Banpo 1-dong, 2-dong, 3-dong and 4-dong.

Banpobon-dong
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul	반포동
• Hanja	盤浦洞
• Revised Romanization	Banpobon-dong
• McCune–Reischauer	Panp'obon-tong
Exterior of National Library of Korea located in the Banpo district
Banpo-dong within Seocho-gu
Country	South Korea
Area
• Total	5.9 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Population  (2012)
• Total	97,046
• Density	16,000/km2 (43,000/sq mi)

The neighborhood is just north of Express Bus Terminal station and to the south of the Han River. Some of the apartment buildings were built in the late 1970s but the area is considered affluent due to its central location within Seoul, proximity to the Han River Park,[3] shopping malls, and mass transit transportation options. This area is also specialized for education, since banpo-shopping-center contains numerous educational academies. Banpo is currently going on a constant re-modelling of the old apartments as well.[4]

The area is home of Seorae Village, a small French enclave, with its large concentration of French residents and European-style restaurants, dessert cafés, as well as wineries and cafés stand along its main street.[5]

The National Library of Korea in located in Banpo-dong. It was founded in 1945 in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu and was relocated to Banpo-dong in 1988.

Banpo Bridge is also located in the district.

Banpo-dong is known as the city of apartments. In Banpo, most of the apartments are expensive. Some examples are Banpo-Xi, Raemian Firstige Apartments, Banpo-Riche or Banpo Hillstate, etc. They are recorded as some of the most expensive apartments in Seoul. Banpo-dong is well developed for transportation. It has an express bus terminal that takes people to every place in Korea. The cost of a ticket for a teenager is ₩7000~₩20000 and ₩21000~₩30000 for adult based on the distance they are traveling (“Express and Intercity Buses”). Also, the subway station is well developed. Some of them are “Express bus terminal station”, “Gangnam station” and “Shin Nonhyeon Station”. The cost of a ticket is ₩880 for teenagers and ₩1250 for adults (Cho Sik Nam). Banpo has various shopping malls and the biggest shopping mall is called “Shinsegae”, which is huge department store that sells various kinds of high-end and name brand products. It is managed by Samsung group which is one of the largest corporations in the world (“Shinsegae”). Banpo is a well developed city for education. Many schools have been built in past four years. Some examples are “Wonchon Elementary School”, “Banpo Middle School” or “Sewha High School”, etc. In Banpo, there are a lot of festivals held no matter the season. The most famous festivals are the “firework festival” and “music festivals.” The Fire festival is held at Yeouido which is located near the Han river. The cost of a ticket is free which is open for everyone (Mukti). The Music festival is held at “Seorae Village”, where a lot of French people are living. The main purpose is to make provide people with enjoyment. In the festival, different kinds of music is performed which demonstrates various musical traditions. The cost for ticket is free which attracts many people to join (Evan and Rachel). In Banpo, there is island called “Bam island”, which is made artificially. It has various restaurants that people can enjoy. Also, it has perfect view where one can see beautiful flowers. The island shines at night which attracts young and married couples (“seoul » Yeongdeungpo-gu…”). Banpo has various parks that people can take a walk or exercise in. Some well known parks are “Jangmi-Park”, “Banpo-Han river park” and Montmartre Park. These places are usually full of people who are exercising or walking with their dog. It has perfect services available such as exercise machines, water machine and basketball courts. Banpo-dong has largest river in Korea which is the “Han river”. Many water sports are offered. It has a huge field that can be used for playing various kinds of sports and also for holding picnics (“15 exciting activities…”). Banpo-dong has a well organized service system such as hospitals or police stations. The largest hospital is “Sungmo hospital”, which deals with emergency. The largest police station is “Seocho Police office”. The province's population is increasing.