Hello, I am Park Gwangil. I am honored to guide you to Course 10 of Jongno Modern Trail. My job involves visiting historical sites. I write aboutwhat I have seen and send articles to the media or make them into books. I even go on TV programs to talk about them, and I am happiest when I share historical stories when I go on trips to historical places with people.

Today, I am excited to walk Jongno Modern Trail with you and talk about its history. I daresay that there is no such place without history, but Jongno is a special place in my heart.

Although I was not born in Jongno, it was where my university and workplaces were. I spent almost 30 years of my life in Jongno.

I used to pass through Jogno while going back and forth between home and school, and between home and work. I spent most of my everyday life and the better part of my entire life in Jongno, because it’s where I went to school and work. Since there are many historical sites in Jongno, I can safely say that I was on a field trip to a historical site there almost every day. That is why I took the courage and volunteered to be a guide to Jongno Modern Trail, the trail that preserves Jongno’s modern and contemporary history.

I feel comfortable when I’m at Jongno. It’s a familiar place, and every nook and corner whispers and unfolds stories from history. It feels as though I’m one of the most qualified people to tell you its history. Haha.

In Jongno, you can find notable historical sites such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace as well as posts and monuments of diverse historical periods. That is why Jongno, to me, is both a historical book and a collection of photographs of historical heritages.

Today, we will be covering the late period of Jongno Modern Trail's historical books and photographs collections. How is that? Are you ready to walk into the book called Jongno? Very good. Now, let’s begin our journey to the historical Jongno Modern Trail's Course 10.