As Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ continues to somehow make headlines, Seoul’s famously affluent district is also gaining its fair share of attention as more and more people ask ‘what’s a “gangnam”?’.

One of the biggest internet communities on the Korean portal site Daum, ‘Truth or oddity’, posted some old photos of Gangnam and its development. A membership to the community is needed to view the original post.

From Daum:

Photos of Gangnam’s Development

The word Gangnam originally denoted the southern part of the Han River. Before the meaning of the word was reduced to Songpa-gu, Seocho-gu, and Gangnam-gu, ‘Youngdong’ (meaning east of Youngdeungpo) was commonly used to indicate that area.

UN troops waiting in Sinsa-dong, right before the recovery of Seoul on September 25, 1950.

Cool aerial photo of Gangnam and Jamsil in 1960.

Near the Sinsa intersection in 1960.

Gangnam used to be full of poor, straw-roof houses. Before the construction of the third Han-river Bridge [old name for the Hannam Bridge], the fastest way to go to Sinsa-dong from Hannam-dong was by rowing boat (August 13th 1962).

The third Han-river Bridge, connecting Sinsa-dong and Hannam-dong (December 26th 1969).

The Park Chung-hee era

Gangnam started changing dramatically from now on.

Park Chung-hee observing the ‘City Plan Model’ exhibition in 1969.

The development of Gangnam officially took off.

Sinsa-dong in development: there only seems a dirt field so far.

Starting construction of the Seoul-Busan Expressway (Gyeongbu Expressway) in October 15th in 1968.

Expressway constructions, including the Seoul-Busan Expressway:

Straw-roof houses started to slowly disappear.

The construction of the Government Employee’s Apartment was completed in December 1971.

Banpo Apartment and parts of Gangnam Apartment communities were built. (May 25th 1972)

The opening of the Jamsil Bridge on July 1st 1972.

The Jamsil Bridge and the adjacent area in 1972.

With time, Gangnam started changing.

Jamwon-dong back in the day.

This is the famous Apgujeong… with a farmer ploughing the fields…(1978)

During development, modern buildings and people with old-fashioned lifestyles brought about this visual irony.

The area surrounding the Gangnam Bus Terminal.

Post 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The Gangnam that we know today started emerging in 1988.

As the Olympics spurred the growth of the Gangnam economy, more modern buildings were raised in the area.

Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu in 1989, the Grand Intercontinental Seoul and the World Trade Center Seoul in construction.

Modern Gangnam.

Today’s Gangnam has reached an apex in real estate prices, population and density and now boasts one of the highest real estate prices in the nation.

Comments from Daum:

껴냐니텨리:

Personally, I prefer the old Gangnam over the modern one, with rowing boats floating around..

폴더폰 :

I agree with the comment above, although modern Gangnam is nice and a convenient place to live…

달빛샤워 :

I knew Gangnam used to be countryside, yet these pictures allow me to feel such a palpable difference duh duh I also heard Jangseungbaegi station used to be the outskirts of Seoul where wild tigers often visited.

다내끄야감자튀김 :

Something about these pictures makes me sad.

작업아닌 작전 오늘밤 지나면 대반전:

Oh… I’ve heard about those times, but seeing these photos gives it a whole different feeling!! ke ke ke ke ke ke

대학수학능력시험칠남고딩(18세) :

Cool.

니네누나:

The population living in Gangnam is too dense. It would’ve been much better if they put more effort on preserving the old looks of the area.

긷연아 :

How an earth…

나는낮만고양이:

One of those straw-roof houses should’ve been my family’s property.

쿡..너내꺼해라:

Ah there’s too many people and cars whenever I go to Gangnam.

MIKA(영국인,29세,191cm,자체발광) :

Now the area is all covered in steel, concrete, and glass.

맛있는오의지:

Wow… in less than a hundred years…

우주(100,000,000,000,000세):

I want to go and have fun in Gangnam someday. ㅠㅠ

XIA준수:

On one hand, the transformation is amazing. On the other, it’s a shame there aren’t any traces of the old Gangnam.

나츠메 우인장:

Wow ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

태양계(50,000,000,000세):

Whoa that staircase-shaped building I’ve seen often is a way older than I thought. keke I thought it’s built in the early 2000s.

서초고등학교:

I like the new looks more.

솔로부대:

I can see how fast Korea has developed.

MIKA[29세]:

Hoel… my house is over there..It’s built in 1972? ke ke ke ke ke Oh dear god.. That’s why there are cracks everywhere… ㅠㅠ

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