Previously known as Wiryeseong, the first capital of the ancient kingdom of Baekje, Songpa is located in the southeastern part of Seoul.

In 2009, Songpa was named one of the world's most livable cities at the LivCom Awards presented by the United Nations Environment Programme.

[2] In 18 BCE, the kingdom of Baekje founded its capital city, Wiryeseong (위례성), in what is believed to be the modern-day Songpa District.

Pungnap Toseong (풍납토성), an earthen wall in Pungnap-dong (near Jamsil) in the southeastern part of Seoul, is widely believed to be the site of Wiryeseong.

Another earthen wall, Mongchon Toseong (몽촌토성), is located nearby and also dates back to the early Baekje era.

Songpa was historically a hub of commercial and military activity, the location of many specialty markets, merchants, and traders, as well as being the site of many battles of the Joseon era.

[3] Songpa, once a calm and rural area, underwent major land development efforts in the 1970s, which transformed the region into a new, urban town.

][needs update] This zone falls into three categories: future business (semiconductors, automobiles, digital contents, batteries, biopharmaceuticals, digital TVs and displays, and mobile devices), specialized business (pharmaceuticals, medical instruments, medicine, health care, construction, and engineering service), and administrational function (court, prosecutor's office, and police office).

[citation needed] To ease school-related expenses for residents, Songpa District runs a recycling pool for used school uniforms and books.

Products such as home appliances, clothes, and shoes are donated from local residents, before being repaired and refurbished for resale.

These policies help produce students with great skills, provide a lifelong education for the residents, tap and develop individuals with talents, and strengthen the community.

Songpa District opened "Children-Only Multiplex Facility," which has a theater, experiential education room, kid's book cafe and cafeteria.

The program enables 100 students to visit the sister city[clarification needed] every summer, staying at homestay houses.

[citation needed] To support women's economic activities, Songpa launched a "Town-visiting Local Tax Law Fair".

The Songpa Culture and Art Center is planned to be completed by 2011[needs update] on the eastern side of Seokchon Lake.

The weightlifting stadium in Olympic Park was transformed into Woori Financial Art Hall, a modernized musical theater with 1,260 seats.

More detailed information can be found at: http://hanseong.songpa.go.kr/ [dead link‍] In spring, more than 25,000 people attend the "Seokchon Lake and Seongnae Stream Festival", a day dedicated to enjoying local blossoming cherry trees, which were planted and raised by the residents.

[clarification needed] Following its ecological restoration, Seokchon Lake and Seongnae Stream became an eco-friendly park where residents enjoy both the beautiful nature and artistic performances in diverse genres including classical music, opera, jazz, dance, and fusion performed on the waterside stage.

The district runs a choir that won a number of national competitions, a symphony orchestra that promotes classical music, a multiple-genre ballet troupe, a folk art troupe formed to promote Korean traditional arts, and a silver choir and silver orchestra, both of which are showing the power of the elderly in national events and TV and radio music shows.

To reduce air pollution and help low-income residents, Songpa District invested 300 million won in the solar power plant "Nanum" project.

The EXPO ensured Songpa District's position as a leading community in Korea to cope with the climate change by demonstrating the accomplishment effectively.

These included 'Songpa Nanum powerhouse','CO2 Home Doctor', 'Songpa SPB (the unattended bicycle rental)', 'A model apartment for coping with the climate change', and the project 'the city on the water'.

[needs update] This project is aimed at building Songpa into an eco-friendly district where water, nature, and humans are harmonized with one another.

But, following ecological restoration efforts in the 2000s, it was reborn as a park that attracts 20,000–30,000 visitors on weekdays (over 50,000 on weekends), as well as providing habitat for animals, plants, and aquatic species.

With a SPB membership card, members of the system rent a bicycle free of charge for 24 hours from 300 self-rental sites located every 300 meters away from one another.

Under the system, mechanics visit Songpa District offices, schools, and apartments so that residents do not have to go too far to repair their bicycles.

[needs update] Subway line number 3 is planned to be extended to Suseo, Garak Market, and Ogeum station in an effort for more balanced development.

Songpa plans to extend the Tan stream bank alongside Songpadaero as traffic volume on the street is expected to increase.

Songpa will also ease traffic by constructing a road linking Wiryeseong gil to Seongnae stream, and by connecting the unconnected section under Olympic Bridge.

A subway transfer center is to be constructed on Jamsil Intersection, the most congested area, which will ease an expected increase in road traffic.