Seoul Urban Master Plan 60th Anniversary Special Exhibition

The Seoul Urban Master Plan 60th Anniversary Special Exhibition is a showcase at the Seoul Museum of History from August 14 to November 8, 2026. This exhibition commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 1966 Seoul Urban Master Plan, which was Korea's first comprehensive long-term development blueprint for the entire city of Seoul.

The original 1966 public exhibition, held at what is now Seoul Plaza, was a significant event, drawing approximately 800,000 residents to view the proposed drawings and models for the city's future. The 1966 plan was developed in response to Seoul's rapid population growth, which more than doubled in just over a decade, and a major expansion of its administrative area. The exhibition traces how this foundational master plan shaped key areas, including Gangnam and Yeouido, now major commercial districts, along with the development of the city's road and subway systems.

Visitors can explore hand-drawn planning documents and maps that were once classified, revealing early proposals for decentralizing Seoul's administrative, economic, and cultural functions. A modern highlight is a video installation on the museum's third floor, developed by the Seoul AI Hub Foundation and MIT's Senseable City Lab. This installation utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze historical photos from the Seoul History Archive, visualizing the evolution of the city's spatial use over time.