Olympic Park (Lone Tree)

Constructed to host the historic 1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games, Olympic Park covers an immense 1.45 million square meters in Songpa-gu. Long before the Olympics, this fertile land was the fortified earthen rampart of Mongchontoseong, protecting the ancient Baekje Kingdom from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD.

The park harmoniously integrates massive modernist sporting domes—such as the gymnastics arena and velodrome—with ancient undulating earthen fortress embankments. Over 200 monumental outdoor sculptures by world-renowned artists like César Baldaccini and Niki de Saint Phalle dot the rolling parklands.

Spring blankets the park in wild roses and blooming cherry avenues. Summer fills the Mongchon moat with lotus blooms. Autumn turns the Gingko Tree Road into a tunnel of bright yellow gold, while winter dusts the rolling lawns and the Lone Tree in pristine white snow.

The park grounds welcome walkers and joggers daily from 05:00 to 22:00 (plaza zones open until 24:00). Early mornings from 07:00 to 09:00 and golden hours before sunset (17:00 to 18:30) provide the best light for photography at the Lone Tree.

General park admission is entirely free. Rental of 2-person and 4-person family surrey bicycles costs approximately 10,000 to 18,000 KRW per hour. Admission to the indoor SOMA Museum of Art ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 KRW.

For quick access to the World Peace Gate, take Subway Line 8 to Mongchontoseong Station (Exit 1). For direct access to the sporting arenas and Rose Garden, take Line 5 or Line 9 to Olympic Park Station (Exit 3). Line 9 Hanseong Baekje Station (Exit 2) leads directly to the southern sculpture zones.

The vast park features broad, gently sloping paved asphalt and smooth wood-deck promenades throughout, making it an exceptional wheelchair- and baby-stroller-friendly venue. Electric 'Hodori' road-trains provide accessible transit between major landmarks.

Enter World Peace Gate → admire SOMA outdoor sculpture garden → climb gentle Mongchontoseong earthen ridge → photograph the picturesque Lone Tree on the rolling green hill → stroll around 88 Lake and waterfront pavilion → relax at the Rose Plaza.

The dining boulevard near Olympic Park Station Exit 3 features casual Italian bistros, cold buckwheat noodle (makguksu) specialists, and authentic dumpling soup houses. Across the street from the Peace Gate lies the famous Songpa roast pork belly and Seolleongtang beef soup row.

The park's open lawns are ideal for self-packed vegan picnics. SOMA Art Museum Cafe and surrounding cafes offer organic plant-based oat lattes, fresh fruit bowls, and vegetarian sandwiches. Halal dining is readily available at Turkish and Indian restaurants near Jamsil Station (5 minutes away).

The park's crown jewel photo is the 'Lone Tree' (Na-hol-lo Namu)—a solitary Chinese scholar tree standing gracefully in the center of a sweeping manicured green knoll under wide-open skies. The Peace Gate with its eternal flame also provides an iconic architectural backdrop.

Pitching overnight tents, picking wildflowers, and operating motorized drones are strictly forbidden. Bicycles must stay on designated perimeter bike lanes and yield right-of-way to pedestrians on earthen fortress paths.

Information centers equipped with nursing stations and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are stationed at the Peace Gate and Meeting Plaza. Songpa Police and 119 emergency rescue stations are adjacent. Call 1330 for multilingual guidance.

Lotte World Tower and Seokchon Lake are located just 2 kilometers west (two subway stops on Line 8), while the ancient Baekje stone tomb mounds of Bangi-dong sit immediately adjacent to the park's eastern perimeter.

Q: Where is the Lone Tree located within the park? A: The Lone Tree is situated atop the central green knoll inside the Mongchontoseong fortress loop, roughly a 10-minute walk northeast from the World Peace Gate.

Morning walk along Mongchontoseong fortress trail and photography at the Lone Tree → coffee and contemporary sculpture viewing at SOMA Museum of Art → lunch near Olympic Park Station → afternoon visit to Seoul Sky Observatory atop Lotte World Tower.