Vol. 13 No. 3 (2025)
Space and Culture, India

Perspective

Elderly Men at Tapgol Park: Psychological Motives, Cultural Influences, and Spatial Exclusion/Segregation in South Korea

Published 2025-11-27

  • Youngjin Kang

Youngjin Kang
Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee Martin, 554 University St., Martin, TN 38238, USA

Abstract

Tapgol Park and its nearby downtown area in Seoul, South Korea, have attracted a large number of elderly visitors over the past several decades despite a series of urban redevelopment projects that aimed at relocating them to so-called more elder-friendly recreational spaces. In this article, I analysed the sociocultural phenomena and issues surrounding Tapgol Park and its elderly visitors, which have long attracted national attention and debate. I introduced basic information about Tapgol Park, including its history, geography, and current condition. Then I analysed the psychological motivations of elderly visitors to find out why they visit the park so frequently. In conclusion, it appears that these elders visit the park and its surrounding areas to alleviate the psychological distress common in old age. The sacralisation project, however, has driven many elders away from the park, and this can be seen as spatial discrimination against the elderly seeking psychological well-being in public spaces. Although the urban elderly community centred around the park has some positive aspects, it is also an example of the age-segregation in South Korea reinforced by Confucian values. Referring to one local park in Incheon as an example, I suggest that the problem of age-segregation may also be addressed through the way architectural spaces are structured.

Keywords

Korea, Korean Culture, South Korea, Seoul, Parks, Public Space, Elders, Spatial Exclusion, Ageism, Elderly Culture

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Author Biography

Youngjin Kang

Youngjin Kang, PhD in Psychology and M.A. in Cultural Studies, researches on how culture/society interacts with human psychology. His articles have appeared in Cognition, Brain, Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Journal; Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal; Advances in Cognitive Psychology; Omega - Journal of Death and Dying; European Journal of East Asian Studies; Journal of Social Work in End-of-life & Palliative Care; African and Asian Studies; Japanese Psychological Research; and Journal of Posthuman Studies.

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