Core77

Politicians and breakdancers both aim to kick South Korea's capital out of the dreary Industrial Age into a glorious new era of vibrant arts, culture - and lots of greenery.

CAN the concrete blocks of Seoul be "softened" into a kind of Asian Paris-cum-space-age city? Can hard-working crew-cut Korean men selling dull machines grow longer hair, and then sell snazzy designer products?

This is the ambitious project to remake Seoul into the "Soul of Asia, a city of design and culture", reflecting the total change in mindset from the dour, industrial age and the military dictatorships of the 1960s to 1980s. Now, it's about being a 21st century of democracy, about openness and creativity and the Korean Wave of pop culture sweeping Asia.

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