Digital Media City
Encyclopedia
Digital Media City is the first high-tech complex in the world for digital
technologies, housing ubiquitous
networked offices, apartments, exhibitions, conference halls and cultural centers in Seoul
, South Korea
. It was constructed in 2002 across 570000 m² (6,135,428.9 sq ft) and approximately 1.7 times the size of the Canary Wharf
development in London
, United Kingdom
. It is a high-tech city centered around Digital Media Street for broadcasting, movies, games, music, e-learning and related industries. It attracted well-known IT
companies such as LG Telecom
, Pantech and LG CNS
, as well as various kinds of public exhibition facilities including the Korean Film Archive
and the Korean Film Museum.
It is served by the Digital Media City Station
on Seoul Subway Line 6
, AREX
and Gyeongui Line
. Located near the Seoul World Cup Stadium
, it is currently the construction site of the 133-floor
Digital Media City Landmark Building
which is slated to become the second-tallest building in the world at 640 m (2,100 ft) when completed in April 2015.
Residents of the Digital Media City are nicknamed Denizens (Digital Citizen) for their constant enthusiasm and interaction with high-tech digital technologies.
One of the original advisors on the development was Michael Joroff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) who also advises on the development of MediaCityUK in Salford
, Greater Manchester
, England
, and Digital Mile in Zaragoza
, Spain
.
for Seoul
's garbage on an island (at the time called Nanjido
, now annexed into the mainland) in the Han River
, before transforming into a high-tech modern city in the 21st century.
This dramatic turn-around is considered to be the result of the Miracle on the Han River
, a term coined to describe Seoul's highly accelerated and successful development since the early 1960s. Used charcoal
briquettes and other industrial waste materials produced during the city's rapid development in this period led to pile ups of trash. By the 1990s, these pile ups grew to mountains at a height of 95 meters and length of 2 kilometers, even after being compressed into a rectangular shape that weighed over 120 million tons. This was in comparison to the Namsan
mountain in Seoul, which is 262 meters. Nanjido's accumulation of garbage increased to 3,000 truck loads of waste per day, essentially creating a pyramid 34 times larger than The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
.
In 1996, Seoul began to launch stabilization projects to withhold further industrial developments and build facilities to prevent the environmental contamination caused by the landfill zone. The stabilization projects included reinforcing the inclines of the landfill that were on the verge of collapsing, minimizing the sludge from the trash and collecting harmful gases. The gas accumulated in the process was utilized as the heat energy necessary for heating nearby facilities of the Seoul World Cup Stadium
and the Sangam
housing development area.
The re-engineered region was first designated a housing development zone in March 1997. A "New Seoul Town Development" project was announced when Goh Kun
became the mayor of Seoul
in July 1998. In August of the same year, the general planning for New Seoul Town project began to take form. Based on this, a master plan was established for the Millennium City (Sangam New Millennium Town). Along with drawing up a city plan to turn the Sangam region into a secondary center of Seoul, a subsequent plan was drafted to build a gateway town that embodies both information
and ecology
. The plan has since been carried out in concrete, and encompasses separate projects such as the World Cup Park, an environmentally friendly housing complex and the Digital Media City.
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
technologies, housing ubiquitous
Ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous computing is a post-desktop model of human-computer interaction in which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into everyday objects and activities. In the course of ordinary activities, someone "using" ubiquitous computing engages many computational devices and systems...
networked offices, apartments, exhibitions, conference halls and cultural centers in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It was constructed in 2002 across 570000 m² (6,135,428.9 sq ft) and approximately 1.7 times the size of the Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
development in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is a high-tech city centered around Digital Media Street for broadcasting, movies, games, music, e-learning and related industries. It attracted well-known IT
companies such as LG Telecom
LG Telecom
LG U+ is a South Korean telecommunications and Mobile phone operator controlled by the LG Group, one of the country's largest chaebol. It was formerly known as LG Telecom....
, Pantech and LG CNS
LG CNS
LG CNS is a subsidiary of the LG Group founded in 1987 that provides information technology services including consulting, System Integration, Network Integration, Business Process Outsourcing, and Information Technology Outsourcing. Originally, LG CNS only focused on computer engineering such as...
, as well as various kinds of public exhibition facilities including the Korean Film Archive
Korean Film Archive
The Korean Film Archive or called Korean Federation of Film Archives and KOFA is the sole film archive in South Korea with nationwide coverage. It was founded in Seoul in 1974 as a non-profit organization...
and the Korean Film Museum.
It is served by the Digital Media City Station
Digital Media City Station
Digital Media City Station is a railway station on Seoul Subway Line 6, AREX and Gyeongui Line....
on Seoul Subway Line 6
Seoul Subway Line 6
Seoul Subway Line 6 is a line of the Seoul Subway. Its color is brown.-Overview:The route connects Eunpyeong-gu and Jungnang-gu in an U-shaped manner, running through Yongsan-gu and Seongbuk-gu. It does not cross over the Han River...
, AREX
AREX
AREX, spelled A'REX as a brand name, is a South Korean railway line that links Seoul with Gimpo Airport and Incheon International Airport. The section between the two airports opened on March 23, 2007, the extension to Seoul Station opened December 29, 2010...
and Gyeongui Line
Gyeongui Line
The Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. When opened in 1906 it linked Seoul in what is now South Korea to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju in what is now North Korea...
. Located near the Seoul World Cup Stadium
Seoul World Cup Stadium
The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite...
, it is currently the construction site of the 133-floor
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
Digital Media City Landmark Building
Digital Media City Landmark Building
The Digital Media City Landmark Building or DMC Landmark Building, also known as Seoul Lite or Light Tower, is a 133-floor, supertall skyscraper proposed for construction in Digital Media City, Seoul, South Korea. It is slated to become the third-tallest building in the world when completed,...
which is slated to become the second-tallest building in the world at 640 m (2,100 ft) when completed in April 2015.
Residents of the Digital Media City are nicknamed Denizens (Digital Citizen) for their constant enthusiasm and interaction with high-tech digital technologies.
One of the original advisors on the development was Michael Joroff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) who also advises on the development of MediaCityUK in Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and Digital Mile in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
History
From 1978 to 1993, the currently developed area of the Digital Media City was in fact a massive landfillLandfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
for Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
's garbage on an island (at the time called Nanjido
Nanjido
Nanjido was an island on a branch of the Han River of Seoul, Korea.In the end of 1970s, a dyke was constructed around the edge of Nanjido, and it became Seoul's official dump site...
, now annexed into the mainland) in the Han River
Han River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...
, before transforming into a high-tech modern city in the 21st century.
This dramatic turn-around is considered to be the result of the Miracle on the Han River
Miracle on the Han River
Miracle on the Han River refers to South Korea's highly accelerated export-fueled economic growth, including rapid industrialization, technological achievement, education boom, exponential rise in living standards, rapid urbanization, skyscraper boom, modernization, successful hosting of the 1988...
, a term coined to describe Seoul's highly accelerated and successful development since the early 1960s. Used charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
briquettes and other industrial waste materials produced during the city's rapid development in this period led to pile ups of trash. By the 1990s, these pile ups grew to mountains at a height of 95 meters and length of 2 kilometers, even after being compressed into a rectangular shape that weighed over 120 million tons. This was in comparison to the Namsan
Namsan (Seoul)
Namsan is a 262-meter peak in the Jung-gu district of south central Seoul, South Korea. Although known as Mount Mongmyeok, or 목멱산, in the past, it is now commonly referred to as Namsan. It offers some hiking, recreation and views of downtown Seoul's skyline...
mountain in Seoul, which is 262 meters. Nanjido's accumulation of garbage increased to 3,000 truck loads of waste per day, essentially creating a pyramid 34 times larger than The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
In 1996, Seoul began to launch stabilization projects to withhold further industrial developments and build facilities to prevent the environmental contamination caused by the landfill zone. The stabilization projects included reinforcing the inclines of the landfill that were on the verge of collapsing, minimizing the sludge from the trash and collecting harmful gases. The gas accumulated in the process was utilized as the heat energy necessary for heating nearby facilities of the Seoul World Cup Stadium
Seoul World Cup Stadium
The Seoul World Cup Stadium, also known as Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was built for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and opened in 2001. It was designed to represent the image of a traditional Korean kite...
and the Sangam
Sangam-dong
Sangam-dong is a legal dong, neighbourhood of the Mapo-gu district in Seoul, South Korea.-Attractions:*Nanjido *Worldcup Park **Millennium Park **Sky Park **Pyeonghwa Park **Noeul Park...
housing development area.
The re-engineered region was first designated a housing development zone in March 1997. A "New Seoul Town Development" project was announced when Goh Kun
Goh Kun
Goh Kun is a South Korean politician. He served as Prime Minister of South Korea from 1997 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2004...
became the mayor of Seoul
Mayor of Seoul
The mayor of Seoul is the head of government for Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea. The position is traditionally considered one of the most powerful in the country. Many Seoul mayors have gone on to hold ministerial office...
in July 1998. In August of the same year, the general planning for New Seoul Town project began to take form. Based on this, a master plan was established for the Millennium City (Sangam New Millennium Town). Along with drawing up a city plan to turn the Sangam region into a secondary center of Seoul, a subsequent plan was drafted to build a gateway town that embodies both information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. The plan has since been carried out in concrete, and encompasses separate projects such as the World Cup Park, an environmentally friendly housing complex and the Digital Media City.