The origin of the name Kkachisan comes from flocks of magpies flying over autumn fields and magpie nests in the past

The place name 'Kkachisan,' located in the Hwagok-dong area of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, originates from a landscape where flocks of magpies used to fly over the fields in autumn and magpie nests hung from every tree halfway up the mountain. According to a video from Culture Portal, it is difficult to find the former appearance as it has now transformed into a residential area, but the name Kkachisan contains the memory of the nature that once existed there.

Traces of Kkachisan found in records and on-site

The Culture Portal video 'Culture PD' captures the process of checking AI's answers, local records, and the actual site to find the origin of the name Kkachisan located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. In the video, the presenter first asked an AI about the origin of the name Kkachisan, but the AI provided a speculative answer that it was because many magpies lived there. Consequently, the presenter decided to visit the site in person to find accurate evidence.

Looking at the local records of Gangseo-gu, the Hwagok-dong area in the past was clay land used for making earthenware, and the soil from the foot of the mountain was dug out to turn fields into rice paddies. Later, from 1965, as large-scale residential complexes were built, the space that was once fields and low hills rapidly transformed into a residential area. Currently, the area of Kkachisan Neighborhood Park is 27,658㎡, which according to records, is a scale closer to a neighborhood hill rather than a mountain.

The real reason for the name left on an explanatory sign

When asking residents met on-site about the origin, speculative answers such as "Isn't it because there are many magpies?" were heard, but no clear evidence was found. However, the origin of the name could be confirmed from an explanatory sign installed near the summit of Kkachisan. According to the sign, it is said that in the old days during autumn, flocks of birds and magpies flew over the fields below Kkachisan, and magpie nests hung from every tree halfway up the mountain.

In the current Kkachisan, it is not easy to find the same scenery as in the past, and the fields have also changed into a residential area. The video concludes by suggesting that even if the scenery has now disappeared, the appearance of nature that passed through that place and the memories of people still remain within the place names that people call.