[Anchor Lead]
The famous stone wall road along Deoksu-gung Palace is a beloved trail for couples strolling on a date. It's also a place that is frequently mentioned in pop song lyrics. However a portion of the road has been cut off until now, blocked off by the British embassy. The embassy has decided to return the severed section back to the Korean citizens.
[Pkg]
The famous stone wall road along Deoksu-gung Palace is often mentioned in pop song lyrics in Korea. It's been a popluar place for citizens taking a stroll but a certain section has been off limits since the British embassy installed a door on the path in 1959. The stone wall road which was cut off for nearly six decades is now open to the public. Of the 170 meter severed section, Seoul city has retrieved a 100 meter stretch that had been occupied by the British embassy.
[Soundbite] Charles Hay(British Amb. to Korea)
With the opening of the 100 meter section, a complete 1,100 meter circular road around Deoksugung Palace can be completed if the remaining 70 meters that also belongs to the embassy are connected. Seoul city officials say they plan to hold further talks with the British embassy to make the surrounding road of the palace fully available to citizens.