walls always mark a divide, and so every wall is a metaphor for boundaries.

The fact that the rulers of Seoul City would go to such time and expense to build a wall says something in itself - either that the military was too weak to adequately defend the citizens, or lawlessness and many evil things took place outside the city walls.

You focussed on the inside of the walls, @slowwalker, and you showed the cramped houses of the poor pushed up against the fortifications.

That location would have been undesirable because of the constant patrols, and the coming and going of people entering and leaving the city. It would have been congested and noisy.

The only escape would be living higher up the mountain away from the density and noise and as your pictures show, many built homes right into the hillside to enjoy the peace and the lovely views.

In the present time, the wall defines Seoul - it's part of its character and its soul. There is no physical divide between rich and poor but there is a huge economic gap that affects their lifestyles.

Seoul is a city where the present, past and future intersect and traditional walls still exist, but are slowly giving way to a new world order.

Very graphic photos of contrasting ways of life, @slowwalker.