When traveling in Seoul, you can often see the 63 Building near the Han River. This building looks very nice from the outside. Even at language institutes where you learn Korean, you can learn some about Gangnam Tower or 63 Building, but there are many cases where you don't know much about these buildings because the explanation is not enough.
I think it is not enough to know only the skyscrapers built during the period when the Korean economy was most developed, so this time I would like to learn about the 63 Building.
Source: 63 Building or 63 Square is a skyscraper located in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. If you refer to the thesis "Daehan Life Insurance 63-story Building" written in 1984 by architect Kim Hee-chun, you can see that the ground height of this building is 249m (264m above sea level) and the height of the antenna is 274m (289m above sea level).
Source: [Thesis] Korea Life Insurance 63-story Building (kisti.re.kr)
According to the news from the Dong-A Ilbo on May 30, 1985, the building, which began construction in February 1980 and was completed in 1985, was designed by the American design firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. It can be seen that it was built by Shin Dong-A Group, which was the parent company of Korea Life Insurance (when Choi Soon-young was in office).
Source: Donga Ilbo, May 30, 1985 :: Naver News Library (naver.com)
At first, the name Korea Life 63 Building was used, but later it was changed to 63 Square through Hanwha 63 City. However, it is better known by the nickname 63 Building. It is located right next to Richencia Tower.
According to the descriptions on Wikipedia and Namuwiki, the 63 Building is a landmark building in Seoul completed in 1985 and at the time the tallest building in Asia. The 63 Building is a building that symbolizes Korea's industrialization and economic development.
If you refer to the news from Chosun Ilbo on May 21, 2022, “A pilot apartment building on the 60th floor… 63 Building is “Oh, the old days”, the Gangnam Miracle is an urbanization and real estate development that occurred in the Gangnam area from the 1970s to the 1990s. refers to the phenomenon. It can be seen that the Gangnam Miracle is closely related to Korea's economic growth and democratization movement.
The 63 Building was built before the Gangnam Miracle began, so it cannot be said to be the pioneer or cause of the Gangnam Miracle. However, the 63 Building is a representative building of Korea's modernization and internationalization, reflecting the background and atmosphere of the Gangnam Miracle.
Even during the Gangnam Miracle, the 63 Building remained a symbol of Yeouido and the Han Riverside area. The 63 Building is a taller and more splendid building than the Gangnam area, which may have stimulated the Gangnam miracle or caused a sense of competition (competitive mind).
Source: Korea's skyscraper symbol, Korea's Empire State Building: 63 Building: Naver Blog (naver.com)
The 63 Building is still recognized as a symbol of Korea's skyscrapers even after the Gangnam Miracle ended. It can be said that the 63 Building seems to be far from social or environmental problems caused by the Gangnam Miracle, and conveys a positive image of Korea.
If you know about the 63 Building, you can tell your friends about the 63 Building when crossing the Han River or playing. Unlike other modern skyscrapers, the 63 Building is not just a building with an important history. With this knowledge, you will be able to share more meaningful stories.
