[KoreaUrbanLegend] Deoksugung Stone Wall Path
The Deoksugung Stone Wall Path, a famous feature of Deoksugung Palace, is associated with an intriguing urban legend: "Couples who walk along the Deoksugung Stone Wall Path will break up." This phrase first appeared in the media in 1986 through KBS's Kim Hee-ae's FM Popular Songs radio drama "Mischievous High School Girl's Secret Diary." This indicates that the legend likely formed in the late 1970s to early 1980s.
There is a story suggesting that this urban legend originated from the fact that the Seoul Family Court is located at the end of the path. The idea is that couples who walk this path might end up separated after completing divorce procedures, thus going their separate ways. However, like many urban legends, this Seoul Family Court origin theory is not confirmed. The Deoksugung Stone Wall Path was established after the Inhwa Gate was demolished in 1902, and the history of the courthouse begins with the establishment of the Joseon High Court in 1928 during the Japanese occupation. Therefore, it's also possible that the urban legend developed independently of the family court.
