Days gone by · 1988–2009 · 100 photographs
Seoul National University, days gone by
People on the campus steps, outdoor tables on festival day, and a neighborhood bus from Nakseongdae Station. Follow the places students used around Gwanak Campus, Nokdu Street, and Sillim.
Explore the 100 photographs1988–1996
People on the campus steps
See a graduation, a student club event, and people crossing the plaza and paths between buildings.
People on the campus steps
People with bags use the right side of the broad steps. The campus opens out below, and a banner hangs on the building opposite.
Walking past the administration building
People pass under rows of windows at the administration building. The path runs between columns and planted beds.
The plaza outside the Cultural Center
Curved and angular walls face onto the plaza. People cross the broad paved space.
Students with a graduation banner
Students in graduation gowns and caps gather with a banner. A crowd of people attending the ceremony fills the space behind it.
A social sciences women's club quiz event
Several people stand onstage above a sign announcing the quiz. The photograph records a campus event run by a women's club in the College of Social Sciences.
A campus memorial rite for Park Jong-chul
A memorial rite for Park Jong-chul takes place at Gwanak. Campus buildings stand behind the white-clad procession and the portrait.
Gwanak Campus below the hills
Low campus buildings spread out below the hills. The foreground roofs and the ridge beyond show how the university sits in the terrain.
The Cultural Center across the lawn
The low facade of the Cultural Center stands across a broad lawn. Open ground extends in front of the building.
University Museum and forecourt
The museum's broad overhanging roof casts a long shadow across the facade. Low shrubs edge the forecourt.
A campus building with a curved facade
Windows follow the curved wall and people stand near the entrance below. The curve continues down to the space used by pedestrians.
The main gate beyond a traffic island
SNU's main gate stands beyond a planted traffic island. Vehicles and people crossing the road share the approach to the gate.
1996 · 2009
Two views of familiar landmarks
Use the shape of the main gate and the long rows of administration windows to compare two views of each place.
The SNU main gate, then and later
The 1996 photograph looks toward the gate from the approach road. The 2009 photograph moves closer, showing vehicles and pedestrians passing beneath the same structure.
The later view in each pair was photographed in 2009.
The main gate and its approach road
The gate spans the approach road. A sidewalk runs alongside the roadway, with vehicles visible near the entrance.
Cars and pedestrians beneath the main gate
Cars and people pass beneath the silver-gray gate. Its sloping supports meet the pedestrian areas beside the roadway.
The administration lawn, then and later
The 1996 photograph looks nearly straight across the grass at the administration building. The 2009 view from the edge includes the path toward it. The long rows of windows provide a reference across the two views.
The later view in each pair was photographed in 2009.
The administration building across the lawn
The long front of the administration building stands across the lawn. Evenly spaced windows emphasize its breadth.
The path beside the administration lawn
The path along the lawn leads toward the administration building. This angle shows the route between the open ground and the building.
November 2009
Outside Exit 4 of Nakseongdae Station
Follow the street from the filling station canopy to the road where neighborhood bus No. 2 stopped.
The filling station near Exit 4
A broad filling-station canopy comes into view on the street near Nakseongdae Station's Exit 4. Shops and the road continue beyond it.
The neighborhood bus terminus beside the filling station
A green neighborhood bus stands on the narrow road beside the filling station. This was where riders could catch bus No. 2 near the subway station.
2004–2009
Classrooms, festivals and cafeterias
Group assignments, summer courses, festival notices, cafeteria tables and a small repair shop show different parts of campus life.
Eating outdoors at the 2004 festival
Students eat together at tables under the trees. The festival made room for a meal outdoors.
The festival noticeboard in May 2006
Festival announcements and club posters fill the board. A person with a bag stands in front of the dense display of words and pictures.
An outdoor event at the 2008 spring festival
People lean over a table set outdoors. The tabletop and the objects on it are the focus of this spring festival activity.
Working on a group assignment
Students gather and look down toward the middle of the group. They share a desk area while working on an assignment.
Students in a summer class
Seated students look toward a person standing at the front. The photograph shows the classroom layout during a summer course.
Orientation for new international students
Participants sit in rows of long desks. The person giving the orientation and the newly arrived students appear in the same frame.
The SHINE student ambassadors
Members of SNU's SHINE student ambassador group pose for a photograph. They face the camera in several rows.
Tables outside a campus cafeteria
Outdoor tables and chairs line the cafeteria windows. Several patrons sit in front of the building.
Inside a campus cafeteria
Tables and seats extend beneath round lights, with diners already seated. The interior offers room for groups to sit together.
A Korean lesson at the Language Education Institute
Participants in a Korean lesson gather around the same table. Some are seated while another leans in close.
A classroom at the Global Competency Camp
Camp participants sit in rows in a lecture room. The photograph shows seats occupied from the front toward the back.
A homecoming banner on the lawn
A banner announces Homecoming Day on a campus lawn. The notice gives this everyday outdoor space a temporary event use.
Bag cleaning and shoe repairs
Signs on the small storefront advertise bag cleaning and shoe repairs. The shop could be reached directly from a campus path.
A campus Nonghyup branch
A sign identifies a Nonghyup branch on the lower level. Steps lead to an entrance for banking on campus.
Sofas in a campus lobby
Sofas and people are visible in an open lobby. Seating beside the circulation area offers a place to stop.
1995–2009
From Gwanak-ro to the main gate
See the main road through Bongcheon-dong, the lanes between shops, and the junction outside the university gate.
Gwanak-ro toward Sangdo-dong from above
From above, Gwanak-ro curves between buildings. The photograph takes in both nearby shop roofs and the road stretching into the distance.
Gwanak-ro below the Sangdo-dong apartments
Low buildings and apartments on a hill rise behind the traffic on Gwanak-ro. Roadside buildings and the housing beyond share the frame.
Gwanak-ro in Bongcheon-dong
Several lanes stretch toward the Bongcheon-dong hill. Road signs and houses beyond the carriageway are visible together.
Looking toward Gwanaksan
A divider runs along the broad road, flanked by shops and larger buildings. The view follows the street toward Gwanaksan.
Pedestrians between shops
Pedestrians pass between buildings covered in signs. The view shows the width and bustle of a shopping lane opening onto a larger street.
Traffic beneath the wildlife crossing
A wildlife crossing spans the road as vehicles pass underneath. The photograph shows how it sits above the roadway and between the slopes.
Traffic at the junction by the main gate
Vehicles move in several directions across the wide junction by the gate. The campus approach meets the surrounding road network here.
1988–2005
Bookshops, exam lodging and Sundae Town
Visit a bookshop and a gathering on Nokdu Street, lanes with exam lodging, and restaurants in Sundae Town.
Student activism on Nokdu Street
A dense crowd fills the space outside shops on Nokdu Street. The photograph records SNU student activism extending into the commercial streets outside campus.
When That Day Comes bookshop
The yellow sign for the social sciences bookshop When That Day Comes hangs above the street. People pass underneath and other signs occupy the upper floors.
Inside the Sillim-dong exam district
Low walls and roofs fill the foreground, with the neighborhood spreading out behind them. Housing in the exam district follows the slope.
The streets of Sillim’s exam district
A white car stands at the entrance to a lane lined with shop signs. A banner hangs over the striped road markings as people walk between vehicles. The photo shows Sillim’s exam district on the afternoon of December 25, 2004.
A gosiwon on Seorim-gil
Shopfronts and a gosiwon sign line Seorim-gil. Shops and lodging associated with exam preparation sit close together along the narrow road.
The lane outside Eutteum Gosiwon
A vertical sign for Eutteum Gosiwon hangs on a building at the right. Utility lines and a banner cross the sloping lane above parked cars, and people walk farther downhill. Lodging for exam candidates and shops share the same stretch of Seorim-gil.
The lanes inside Sundae Town
Vertical shop signs project densely into the alley from both sides. Diners could read restaurant names as they walked through Sillim's Sundae Town.
The signboards of Yangji Sundae Town
Signs cover floor after floor of Yangji Folk Sundae Town when viewed from below. The building's concentration of restaurants is visible from the street.
Inside Ttosuni Sundae in Sillim
Rows of tables and seats stand beneath fluorescent lights. Notices on the walls frame the interior of a Sundae Town restaurant.
Street level at Yangji Sundae Town
A pedestrian and vehicles appear in front of Sundae Town. Its facade signs stand out alongside those on neighboring shops.
Dorimcheon by the Munseong-ro junction
Low embankments follow both sides of Dorimcheon. Roads and buildings around the stream are visible in the distance.
2000–2009
Paths along the hillside
Follow stairs and the ring road between dormitories, sports fields, the library, the museum and classrooms.
Samsung Convention Center and Hoam Faculty House
Low buildings enclose the vehicle approach. A forecourt road and parked cars sit close to the entrances.
The Gwanak Residence Halls sports field
The Gwanak Residence Halls sports field lies across the road, with dormitory buildings behind it. The field sits close to student housing.
The stone sign outside Kyujanggak
Columns and the facade rise behind a stone sign inscribed with the name Kyujanggak. The sign sits beside the walking area in front of the building.
The Central Library facade
Rows of windows repeat along the long Central Library facade. The trees in front partly frame the scale of the building.
Dure Arts Center from the front
The Dure Arts Center's glass front faces the pedestrian area. Glass and structural framing continue above the entrance.
The Museum of Art from the approach
The sloping walls of the SNU Museum of Art rise above an open foreground. The glass and diagonal framing are visible from a distance.
Apartments and a roadside sidewalk
A long sidewalk runs between the apartment walls and the road. Roadside fixtures show the distance between pedestrians and the buildings.
A path between apartment buildings
A path runs in front of the apartments, with low planted beds along its edge. It provides a walking route between residential blocks.
The road by the residence halls entrance
Cars are on the road near the residence halls entrance, with dormitory blocks behind. Walking space meets the vehicle approach here.
A campus sign on the ring road
A sidewalk follows the ring road past a campus sign. The sign is visible to people walking along the bend.
A campus crosswalk
Campus buildings stand beyond a marked crosswalk. The crossing and sidewalks on either side fit in one frame.
A gathering on the entrance sidewalk
People gather on the sidewalk near the campus entrance. The walking area beside the road also gives them a place to wait.
A sculpture below the Museum of Art
A sculpture and paved route sit beneath the museum's projecting structure. Visitors can approach the sculpture on the path below the building.
A sports field below the ridge
The Gwanaksan ridge stretches behind a field ringed by a track. The elevated view shows the field's edge and the surrounding terrain.
An entrance in a rounded facade
Windows follow several floors of the curved facade, with an entrance below. The close, upward angle emphasizes the curve.
Steps to the College of Social Sciences
A long staircase rises toward the College of Social Sciences. Buildings and low walls mark the edges of the uphill route.
The College of Social Sciences from a fork in the road
The College of Social Sciences stands beyond a fork. The view shows how its uphill approach meets the campus roads.
A memorial hall facade and sculpture
A dark sculpture stands against the light wall of the memorial hall. From the forecourt its outline reads clearly against the facade.
Arts buildings across a grass courtyard
Arts buildings with rows of windows stand across the grass courtyard. A route between buildings runs along the edge of the open ground.
People outside a research building
People pass along a shaded route outside a research building. Vehicles nearby show how closely the walking route meets the approach road.
The design research building entrance
The design research building's entrance sits below rows of windows. It can be reached directly from the space in front.
Walking space between engineering blocks
A pedestrian space opens between tall engineering blocks. The view shows the lower levels and the width of the route joining them.
A bend beside the engineering buildings
The road curves uphill beside the engineering buildings, with cars along the side. Signs and sidewalk follow the edge around the bend.
Two engineering buildings across an open space
Two glass-fronted engineering blocks stand across an open area. The gap between them is visible down to the space used to enter the buildings.
The road in front of an engineering building
A road runs alongside the College of Engineering building. The facade extends parallel to the street, emphasizing its length.
A guard booth on the engineering approach
A small guard booth stands at the edge of the engineering approach. The entrance fixtures and the buildings behind share the view.
Campus construction seen from above
A campus construction site is visible from a raised passage. Existing buildings and roads run close to the work area.
Brick buildings and a glass passage
A glass-enclosed passage stands in front of brick walls. The low transparent structure overlaps taller brick buildings behind it.
A campus sign at a fork
A campus sign stands where the road divides. Both pavement markings and signs can be seen at this junction.
A circular structure beside a brick building
A circular brick structure stands beside a taller campus building. The horizontal windows behind it set off its rounded form.
The columns of a natural sciences building
Columns line the facade of a College of Natural Sciences building. The side path shows the depth between the columns and the wall.
An entrance under a broad canopy
A broad canopy covers the space in front of the entrance. It also shelters the walking space between the columns.
The footpath to the library
People walk along the footpath toward the library. Low planting beds and trees follow the route toward the buildings.
People crossing a plaza in front of a building
People cross the plaza toward the building. The steps and paved space connect several walking routes.
People climbing the broad steps
People make their way up the broad steps at intervals. Trees and low walls border the campus spaces on different levels.
A projecting building above a plaza
The upper floors project over the plaza on columns. The sheltered space below opens directly onto the plaza.
The front steps of the administration building
A long administration building rises beyond the broad front steps. From below, the frame includes the flanking trees and repeated windows.
A passage between columns
The shaded space beneath the building is open between columns. Daylight beyond shows where the passage leads.
A brick-paved campus path
A red brick path continues between the campus buildings. Low planting and building walls border the route.
Steps at a junction of campus paths
Steps rise from a junction between campus paths. The stairway and adjacent walking space show the change in level.
A curved wall and glazed connection
A glazed connection meets a rounded exterior wall. The close view shows the two sections' different shapes and materials.
The main entrance of the business school
The recessed business school entrance sits beneath a brick facade. A walkway leads into the shaded entrance.
A walkway beside brick campus buildings
A path runs along the brick campus facade. A planted strip separates the windows from the walkway.
Steps and a ramp behind campus buildings
Steps and a ramp connect walking areas on different levels behind the buildings. Their railings trace the routes through the space.
The sidewalk toward a bus stop
A sidewalk leads toward the bus stop beside a road with cars along it. The edge and bend of the road are visible from the path.
The shared equipment center bus stop
A sign for the shared equipment center stop stands on the sidewalk. The view places the stop in relation to the campus building across the road.
The glass doors of the Computer Research Institute
Glass doors face the paved area in front of the Computer Research Institute. This close view shows the final approach to the entrance.
The road beside an arts building
A road with a vehicle visible runs past the arts building's dark wall. The driving space lies close to the lower level.
Research buildings seen from uphill
An uphill viewpoint looks down over low research roofs and the buildings beyond. Roofs on different levels show the slope of the campus.
A campus building behind a direction sign
A multi-story campus building stands behind a direction sign. The sign, walkway and entrance lie close together.
Which city’s old photos would you like to see next?
Tell us which city you’d like to see in the comments below. We’ll look for old photos of the cities you suggest first.
Beyond the photos, our stories
All comments 0
Share the memories these photos bring back.
No memories yet. Share the first one.