For the first time in a century, visitors can now explore a previously hidden underground hallway at Seoul's historic train station, which has been opened as part of a special centennial exhibition. The weathered basement corridor, accessible through a green wooden door tucked away in a back corner of the old Seoul Station, leads to a striking neon archway that opens into "Platform 4," a long-abandoned area of the 100-year-old building that had remained closed to the public until now.

The special exhibition, which opened on September 30 under the theme "Seoul Station's Past, Present and Future," commemorates the centennial of one of Korea's most significant transportation landmarks. "It was really cool to see how the station developed throughout the years," said Park, a 21-year-old university student who visited the site on October 2. The exhibition offers visitors an unprecedented opportunity to walk through Korean history within the walls of this architectural treasure.

Built in 1925 during the Japanese colonial era, the station was originally called "Gyeongseong Station" and served as Korea's primary transportation hub. The building showcases neo-Renaissance architectural style, combining concrete, steel, brick, and stone materials, and features a distinctive Byzantine-style central dome. While initially designed to match Tokyo Station in size, the plans were scaled back due to budget constraints following Japan's devastating 1923 Kanto earthquake.

Visitors entering the building today are immediately struck by the tall ceilings and original ticket booth displaying old handwritten signs. The exhibition preserves numerous remnants from the colonial era, allowing guests to step inside rooms that once functioned as barber shops, VIP lounges, and Western-style restaurants. Among the most notable preserved spaces is "The Grill," which operated for 96 years on the station's second floor and holds the distinction of being one of the first establishments in Korea to serve Western cuisine.

"The Grill" became a popular gathering place for artists, poets, and Japanese officials during the 1920s, though dining there came at a premium cost equivalent to approximately 150,000 won ($107) in today's currency. The former coach-class waiting room has been transformed into a gallery space featuring photographs and artworks that document the station's earliest years, providing visitors with a visual journey through time.

The exhibition extends beyond the colonial period to showcase the station's evolving role in Korean society after liberation in 1945. In the western hallway, video footage and historical images trace the building's transformation into a significant cultural landmark. These displays highlight various chapters of the station's post-liberation history, from serving as a vaccination center during health drives in the 1960s to becoming a vibrant social gathering place in the 1970s where young people would spend entire nights drinking beer, singing songs, and playing guitar.

The old Seoul Station underwent a major transformation in 2004 when it was converted into a cultural venue, coinciding with the construction of a new adjacent facility designed to accommodate Korea's high-speed bullet train, the KTX. This transition marked the beginning of the building's current chapter as a preserved historical site rather than an active transportation hub.

The centennial exhibition creatively utilizes the station's original spaces to offer visitors an immersive historical experience. The former first and second-class waiting rooms now serve coffee and beer that were once sold at the operational station, while the old women's waiting room has been converted into a musical showcase featuring compositions inspired by the site's rich history. The former stationmaster's office has been dedicated to highlighting famous figures who passed through the station's halls during its operational years.

One of the exhibition's most striking features is the newly unveiled basement hallway, which creates a dramatic contrast between past and future. The weathered walls of this underground passage lead visitors to a futuristic neon archway, beyond which the sleek, modern KTX platforms extending toward Busan come into view. This deliberate juxtaposition symbolizes the station's remarkable journey from its historical origins to its role in Korea's modern transportation network. The Culture Ministry is actively considering keeping this hallway permanently open to the public in 2026, after the current exhibition concludes.

The exhibition also features a rare literary treasure: the only surviving manuscript of the first Korean dictionary. This historically significant document was compiled in secret by the Korean Language Society in 1929 under colonial rule, demonstrating the resilience of Korean cultural identity during a period of suppression. Japanese authorities seized the dictionary during the colonial period, but the manuscript was remarkably rediscovered in the station's storage unit following Korea's liberation in 1945.

"The Seoul Station was created by the Japanese, but it was filled and developed by Korea," explained curator Myung Ji-eun. "It has witnessed the twists and turns of Korea's modern history." This perspective emphasizes how the building, despite its colonial origins, became a genuinely Korean cultural landmark through decades of use by Korean society.

Kim Young-soo, first vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, expressed his hopes that the exhibition "helps people recall the architectural and social value of the old Seoul Station, an important heritage that has grown together with Korea's modern history as a transportation hub." His statement reflects the government's recognition of the station's dual significance as both an architectural monument and a living piece of Korean social history.

The centennial exhibition will continue through November 30 and is offered free of charge to all visitors, making this unique historical experience accessible to anyone interested in exploring Korea's transportation heritage and modern development.