A Study of Jeong-dong Area as a Birth Place of Modern Western Accommodations and Social Clubs

One outstanding trend in the 21st century is to seek cultural contents. Jeong-dong area in the central part of Seoul City contains affluent stories with its many strong points as a modern historic site. After Joseon Korea opened its gate to the Western world since 1880s the area turned to political sites and Western civilization. This thesis has studied Jeong-dong as a birth place of modernity formed with foreign legations, educational institutions, religious buildings, hospitals and so on which transformed the old, traditional views of this area entirely into a new shape of a modern village. Second it has studied Jeong-dong as a historic royal tomb-sites. The writer also has done research on the site as the first modern site of accommodation, Sontag Hotel. The hotel serving as a gathering place contributed as a birth place of Jeong-dong Club which played an epicenter of anti-Japanese movement around the annexation time. Third this paper in contrast has studied the formal guest houses in Seoul in Joseon dynasty which provided accommodations for foreign envoys from the three Asian nations. Jeong-dong is an attractive site to tourists with its rich history and historical remains and with its accessibility. However due to the lack of understanding of their importance in the tourism industry understand these are not fully recognized by the public. English materials about Jeong-dong are available only in the mere level. The writer wishes that this thesis may contribute to drawing attention to the importance of this site in the tourism industry with its cultural and historic implications. In addition it may revive the area as reservoir of rich stories with the over 100-year old historical background to those who seek the history and entertainment in the area in Seoul.