| 40-step stairway | |
| Image Place: | 40–step stairway 20200522 006.jpg |
| Image Caption: | The stairway (2020) |
| Place Type: | Stairway |
| Steps: | 40 |
| Address1: | 39-51 1-ga, Jungang-dong, Jung District, Busan, South Korea |
| Coordinates: | 35.1039°N 129.0345°W |
The 40-step stairway is a famous stairway in, Jung District, Busan, South Korea.[1]
The stairway is accessible via a 5 minute walk from Exit 11 of Jungang Station on the Busan Metro Line 1.[2]
The staircase was built between 1909 and 1912. The steps were originally around 25m (82feet) away from their current location; they were relocated at some point. At some point, the stairs were made to be only about 1m (03feet) wide, as the surrounding residential area grew. During the 1950–1953 Korean War, refugees escaping the conflict formed a shanty town around the staircase. It became famous as a marketplace for the refugees. It also served as a landmark that families would agree to meet at to reunify.
In 1993, a monument stone was constructed in front of the staircase. In 2004, the area around the staircase was made into a tourist street and renovated.[3] There is an exhibition hall that shows the history of the area and the staircase.
The 40–step stairway appears in the film Nowhere to Hide.[4]