There is a district office in Seoul where bursts of excitement, often audible as screams, echo throughout the building. The source of the thrill? A set of giant slides that whisk visitors from the second floor down to the basement in under 7 seconds.
Installed and opened to the public in early September, Dongjak District Office’s “D-Lide” has drawn crowds lining up like at an amusement park. It’s not just children enjoying the ride -- office workers from outside the district are joining in the fun, too.
Cho Eun-sun, a 39-year-old housewife from Geumho-dong in Seoul’s Seongdong District, visited the district office with her 10-year-old son last weekend to try the slides. “I heard about them through an online moms' community and decided to bring my son along. The slides were bigger than I expected, and my son, who loves rides, had a great time,” she told The Korea Herald.
“It’s quite surprising to see such a facility in a district office. Honestly, I rarely come here unless I need important documents, but this gave me a chance to look around the office,” she added.
At a glance, D-Lide resembles a massive tree. It features two spiral slides -- one stretches 35 meters and is open to users aged 7 and older who are at least 120 centimeters tall, while the other, measuring 19 meters, has no age limit but requires a minimum height of 110 cm. Adults can also enjoy the slides as long as they weigh less than 100 kilograms.
The slides were installed to celebrate the district office’s first relocation in 45 years. The office moved in July to a new building near Exit No. 1 of Jangseungbaegi Station, rising 10 stories above ground with three basement levels.
Safety staff guide riders onto the slide, equipping them with a pad to lie on and arm protectors to prevent injuries.
At the center of the attraction, children are also drawn to a jungle gym like those seen on elementary school playgrounds.
Open until 8 p.m., the slides offer a quick refresh for office workers on their way home and students leaving private academies in the evening.
Song Ji-uk, 29, a nearby resident who tried the D-Lide on his way home a few days ago, said, “I wasn’t the only adult on the slide. Many others were laughing and enjoying themselves, and it made me feel like a child again.”
Kim San, 15, who discovered the slides through Instagram Reels, said, “Since it was run by the district office, I thought it would be boring, but the speed was no joke. It’s nice to have a chance to play outside, even just briefly, before heading home.”
Less than a month since its opening, the attraction has already gained explosive popularity, with a total of 5,931 visitors as of Sept. 23. Around 300 people use the slides on a daily basis, rising to 400 on weekends.
“Some visitors even traveled from outside Seoul to try the D-Lide, while foreign tourists have also stopped by,” said an official at Dongjak District Office.
Nationwide attention to the project has led other local governments in Seoul and nearby areas to inquire about benchmarking the project, the official added.
Dongjak-gu is the first in Seoul to install a giant slide at a district office. Since it opened only recently, the slide is currently available for 20 minutes at the top of the hour, but the district office plans to consider extending operating hours if visitor numbers increase.
