Locks of Love, A Seoulful Promise
Love is perhaps the most beautiful thing in this world—and I’m not limiting it to just the romantic type of love, I also mean the parental love and the platonic love. When you find your people, the ones you love more than yourself, you’d do anything to keep it forever. Because there’s no better feeling than living the rest of your lives with them.
Perhaps that is what the padlocks at the N Seoul Tower in Seoul represent, a promise to love each other forever, to keep it everlasting. Covered with approximately 40,000 colourful padlocks hung along the fences of the roof terrace, the N Seoul Tower lies at the summit of the Namsan mountain which is an 840 ft high peak, located in the Jung District, Seoul of South Korea. It offers various outdoorsy activities for nature enthusiasts- hiking, picnics and the beautiful skyline views of Seoul are some of the highlights.
N Seoul Tower is a communication and observation tower that used to provide general radio broadcasting services for TV and Radios back in the 1970s. Today, it is used to provide services for popular Korean media outlets such as KBS, MBC and SBS. It was originally built to block North Korean television and radio from reaching Seoul, and due to security reasons, the general public weren’t allowed in the surroundings of the tower. The Blue House is visible from the tower, which is why to this day there are no telescopes in the direction of the presidential residence. The tower is the second highest structure in Seoul after Lotte World Tower which stands at 1819 ft. The N in N Seoul Tower stands for “New”, “Namsan” and “Nature”.
Taking influence from the European practices of inscribing names on the padlocks, locking it to a public structure and throwing away the keys as a symbol of everlasting love in Ponte Milvio bridge in Rome and Pont des Arts in Paris, the latter of which accounts for a million locks, weighing approximately 45 tons as of 2015, the Koreans started their own tradition in the South-East. They also drew influences from popular Korean Dramas featuring their favourite actors and actresses following the romantic gesture. I personally know of three references to the beautiful tower- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Boys Over Flowers and My Love from the Star
The tower attracted families, friends and lovers who wished to declare their love to each other. Some even write personal milestones and wishes to be locked away.
Encouraging this, “Trees of Love”, a tree-like metal structures were built around the tower for people to hang their locks on. In the earlier days, the keys were thrown into the nature but due to environmental impacts, key bins are provided around the tower for people to throw their keys into. You can either bring your own lock or buy one from one of the souvenir shops at Namsan. There are several ways of getting to the beautiful tower— Namsan Cable Car that costs ₩12,000 for a one-way trip and ₩15,000 for a round-trip. Namsan Sunhwan Shuttle Bus along the routes 01A and 01B that costs around ₩1,400. Taking a taxi costs around ₩7,500–₩9,000. Or if you’re a hardcore nature enthusiast and you prefer hiking, it takes about 30-40 minutes to reach the summit.
There is no admission fee to access the tower, you are free to enter and spend time as per your wish, there are fine dining areas and relaxing spots in and around to have an amazing experience. The most optimal time to visit is at sunset, which presents you with the most romantic view and great lighting for pictures. The Tower is also illuminated in blue from sunset to 11 pm.
New locks are added by locals and tourists alike everyday, so do you think you’ll add one on your visit to Seoul, South Korea someday? I know I will.