The Jung-gu district in Seoul announced that it will unveil the interior of the Habib House, the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, as online content to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the Jeongdong Night Walk festival.
This content is a special program jointly planned by the Jung-gu Office and the U.S. Embassy in Korea. It will be offered in video and photo formats on the official Jeongdong Night Walk website during the festival from May 23 to 24.
On May 14, Kim Kil-seong, the district mayor, announced that he visited the Habib House with two local influencers and held a tea meeting with Joseph Yun, the acting U.S. Ambassador to Korea, while also conducting a video shoot of the residence’s interior. The content is designed to allow citizens to experience this diplomatic space indirectly, as a direct visit is difficult.
The Habib House is the U.S. Ambassador’s residence located in Jeongdong behind Deoksugung Palace. It was the first property sold to a foreigner by the Korean royal family in 1883 following the signing of the Korea-U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce, and was the first U.S. diplomatic mission established in Jeongdong. Its current name derives from Philip Habib, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Korea from 1971 to 1974.
The building is a single-story structure laid out in a square (‘ㅁ’) shape around a pond inspired by Silla’s Poseokjeong. It combines traditional Korean elements such as a tiled roof and lattice-patterned windows with American architectural design like interior Western-style furnishings.
The Jeongdong Night Walk first opened the Habib House to the public during its inaugural event in 2015, and this online content adds significance by allowing viewing without the constraints of time and space.
Joseph Yun, the acting U.S. Ambassador to Korea, stated, “I am pleased to introduce the Habib House online. I hope this chancery, a symbol of the 140-year-long Korea-U.S. friendship, provides an opportunity for Korean citizens to cherish the history and ties between our nations.”
Kim Kil-seong, Jung-gu’s mayor, expressed optimism that the Habib House content will offer a unique experience as another attraction of the Jeongdong Night Walk.