Assemblyman Lee Byung-hoon: "Gwanghwamun Signboard Should Be Restored in Hunminjeongeum Script"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] National Assembly member Lee Byung-hoon argued that the Gwanghwamun signboard should be restored using Hunminjeongeum script.

Lee Byung-hoon, a member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Dong-gu Nam-gu Eul), stated on the 12th that the person who wrote the Gwanghwamun signboard was Im Tae-young, a military officer who served as the supervisor of the Gyeongbokgung reconstruction (Yeonggeondogam Jejo) at the time, and who led the Gyeongsin Persecution in 1859 and 1860, a representative incident of Catholic persecution.

Lee said, “Im Tae-young was dismissed due to his harsh actions, including arson and looting, when he arrested more than 30 Catholics while serving as the commander of the Left Pododae. His father, Im Seong-go, was also the main figure behind the Gihae Persecution in 1839. Due to a long-standing hostility toward Catholics passed down from father to son, Im Tae-young caused numerous deaths in prison of Catholics without the court’s permission,” emphasizing this point.

He continued, “Nevertheless, Im Tae-young was reinstated as training commander under the protection of Heungseon Daewongun, and when the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung began in 1865, he was appointed as Yeonggeondogam Jejo (construction supervisor), responsible for the reconstruction work, and wrote the Gwanghwamun signboard,” adding, “Historical records related to Im Tae-young can be found in the History of Korean Catholicism, the Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture, and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.”

He further stated, “He was not a representative figure of the era, nor was his calligraphy artistically outstanding like Chusa or Han Seok-bong. Moreover, as a person who persecuted religious people, it is questionable whether there is any need to restore his calligraphy, which has no value, as the symbolic Gwanghwamun signboard at the gateway of the Republic of Korea. Gwanghwamun is not simply a restoration of a certain historical point but has served as a national symbol for 625 years since the founding of Joseon, so restoring its ‘national symbolism’ is an important restoration criterion.”

He also pointed out, “The ‘門化光’ characters written by Im Tae-young were only hung on the original Gwanghwamun for about 60 years. Gwanghwamun was originally relocated northwest of Geonchunmun by the Japanese in 1927, and was destroyed by bombing during the Korean War, then rebuilt with concrete in 1968.”

He added, “When it was extensively restored in 2006, the Cultural Heritage Administration restored it based on the 1868 Gyeongbokgung reconstruction period, and the current calligraphy by Im Tae-young was hung again. In other words, during the 625-year history of Gwanghwamun, the period when Im Tae-young’s calligraphy was displayed at the original location was only about 60 years from 1868 to 1927, yet this became the restoration standard,” he criticized.

It is reported that even at the time of restoration, many Hangeul scholars and citizens requested that the Gwanghwamun signboard be made in Hangeul.

Assembly member Lee Byung-hoon added, “The originality and excellence of Hangeul are recognized by people worldwide, and the Cultural Heritage Administration needs to seriously consider the representativeness and historicity of Hangeul, which is the most important cultural heritage passed down from our ancestors.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.