Gireum Station is a super busy spot with about 40,000 daily users, thanks to the Gireum New Town crowd and bus transfers from the Samyang-ro and Donsomun-ro lines. But right next to this busy station lies one of Seoul’s most iconic old-school red-light districts.
Passing through the Gireum Station concourse and heading towards the north exit...
If you come out of Gireum Station Exit 10,
You’re immediately greeted by this sketchy-looking red-light district, famously known as 'Miari Texas.'
Miari Texas, located on the east side of Gireum Station, formed in the late 1960s when the red-light districts in Jongno 3-ga and Yangdong were shut down by the government, and workers migrated to Hawolgok-dong. It boomed during the 80s economic surge and the opening of Subway Line 4, becoming one of Seoul’s 'Big 3' alongside Cheongnyangni 588 and Cheonho-dong Texas. It started declining after the 2004 Special Act on Prostitution and being designated for redevelopment in 2009. After over a decade of pressure from residents and the local gov, demolition is finally starting this year as the final residents have moved out. Most of the area is already fenced off or demolished, so the map only shows the parts still accessible. Here is the inside of Miari Texas.
The interior, now abandoned by shopkeepers, has a super eerie vibe with trash, tangled wires, and discarded furniture everywhere.
You can see red temporary tents used for soliciting and pharmacies that are completely walled off from the outside with cloth/fences. Seeing pharmacies,
Snack carts, and restaurants inside really shows how much this place used to bustle back in the day... (But wait, why is the light still on in that snack cart...?)
The transparent glass doors—the ultimate symbol of a red-light district.
Price lists that are still hanging there.
Coming out the other side of the Exit 10 entrance. There's a hidden entrance to the district on the right, and a path toward Gireum Station straight ahead.
If you turn around, you see the massive Naebu Expressway overpass. The overpass makes the whole vibe look even gloomier.
Walked over to the east end, and this side is already completely demolished for redevelopment.
As part of the Sinwol-gok District 1 redevelopment, the rest of the area will be cleared this year. By around 2030, it’ll transform into a massive luxury residential complex with buildings up to 154m tall and 2,300 units. They’re also planning an underground connection to Gireum Station. And so, even the legendary Miari Texas is fading into history...
Now, the red-light district at Yeongdeungpo Station remains the final boss of its kind left in Seoul. - dc official App Source: Monorail Gallery
"Users are reminiscing about the 'sketchy' history of Seoul's famous red-light districts while celebrating the long-awaited redevelopment, though some worry about the 'balloon effect' moving the business elsewhere."
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