Olympic Park (), short name Olpark (), is an Olympic Park in Bangi-dong, Songpa District,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea, opened on May 28, 1986. Built at a cost of US$200 million, it was built to host the 1986 Asian Games and the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

. The two nearest subway stations are Mongchontoseong and Olympic Park.

Competition facilities

* SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium – formerly known as ''Olympic Fencing Gymnasium'' * Olympic Gymnastics Arena * Olympic Swimming Pool * Olympic Tennis Courts * Olympic Velodrome

Other facilities

* Olympic Weightlifting Gymnasium – currently known as ''Woori Art Hall'' * Korea National Sports University * Korea Skating Union * Mongchontoseong * Olympic Sculpture Park (It houses approximately 200 sculptures done by artists of all around the World, expressing different concepts) * Olympic Parktel Hotel * Olympic Hall * Olympic Museum * SOMA Museum of Art * World Peace Gate * Flag Plaza (with the presence of the flags of the countries that competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics) * Rose Park * Waterside Stage * Music Fountain

World Peace Gate

Built between December 31, 1986, and August 31, 1988, it was designed by the architect Kim Chung-up to celebrate the motto and the concepts from Seoul 1988 Summer Olympic Games (peace and harmony) and also to symbolize the ability of the Korean people. Alongside the pillars there are structures similar to wings, under which there's a mural called "A Painting of Four Spirits". In the mural are shown a phoenix, a turtle, a tiger and a dragon (the spirits that guard the gate) ascending towards heaven, representing the strength of Koreans and their freedom. Under the gate is the

1988 Summer Paralympics The 1988 Summer Paralympics () were the first Paralympics in 24 years to take place in the same city as the 1988 Summer Olympics, Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" was used officia ...

eternal flame, as well as a declaration of peace calling for world harmony and happiness for all citizens of the world.

Gallery

File:Olympic Park Seoul.jpg, Entrance to the Olympic Park in November 2018 File:Mongchonhaeja 1.jpg, Olympic Park in October 2018 File:Olympic Park in Oct 2020.jpg, Olympic Park in Autumn with Reeds File:Olympic Swimming Pool Seoul.jpg, Olympic Swimming Pool in 2020 File:Olympic Park Seoul 2005.jpg, The unifying United Buddy Bears exhibition was shown at the Olympic Park in Seoul in 2005. File:World Peace Gate.jpg, World Peace Gate, Olympic Park (2018)

References

External links