'600-Year History Story of Gwanghwamun Front Street'... Seoul History Compilation Institute Publishes 'Story of Gwanghwamun Front Street'

Including 5 Works Each from the Joseon Dynasty, Modern Era, and Contemporary Period

As the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in South Korea, the downtown area of Seoul appears quiet on the last day of the New Year's holiday, the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Museum of History announced on the 24th that it has published "The Story of the Road in Front of Gwanghwamun," which examines how the road in front of Gwanghwamun has changed over 600 years by period and field.

The center of Seoul is the wide space in front of Gwanghwamun. Although its importance has greatly diminished due to the development of Gangnam, the road in front of Gwanghwamun still serves as the center of Seoul, where many people come and go, with major government institutions such as the Government Seoul Office and commercial facilities like the Kyobo Building located there.

In 2009, Seoul City opened Gwanghwamun Square, transforming it into a space for citizens' rest and leisure. Since the end of last year, a project has been underway to expand the square to enhance its historical significance and allow more citizens to enjoy it. Accordingly, the Seoul Museum of History planned the publication of "The Story of the Road in Front of Gwanghwamun" to share with citizens how this area has changed until it was developed into a square.

The Joseon Dynasty established Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1395, the year after moving the capital to Hanyang, and created a "government office street" in front of Gwanghwamun where major government offices including Uijeongbu and Yukjo were located. The government offices on the road in front of Gwanghwamun were destroyed during the Imjin War but were restored through the early 17th century. However, since Gyeongbokgung Palace was not rebuilt and Changdeokgung Palace took over its role, the importance of the road in front of Gwanghwamun as the political and administrative center inevitably declined compared to the early Joseon period. In the late 19th century, when Gyeongbokgung Palace was reconstructed, the government office street in front of Gwanghwamun was also reorganized. The early capital relocation appearance was restored, with Uijeongbu symbolizing political power and Samgunbu representing military power standing facing each other.

After the opening of the port in 1876 and the government's modernization policies, many changes occurred in the locations and names of government offices on the road in front of Gwanghwamun. During the Japanese colonial period, this area, which had been called various names such as Gwanghwamun Road and Yukjo Street, was named "Gwanghwamuntong." The Joseon Government-General Building was constructed in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and administrative and educational facilities such as Gyeonggi Provincial Office, Gyeongseong Central Telephone Office Gwanghwamun Branch, and Gyeongseong Law School, as well as military and police facilities like the Joseon Infantry and Police Training School, were established on Gwanghwamuntong. Additionally, in the 1920s, a tram line was laid passing in front of Gwanghwamun to Hyoja-dong.

Immediately after liberation, Gwanghwamuntong was renamed Sejongno. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, built on the site where the Citizens' Hall, constructed in 1960, was destroyed, was built larger, and in 1970, the Government Complex (now Government Seoul Office) was constructed, renewing its appearance as a government office street. Opposite the Government Complex, twin buildings now housing the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the U.S. Embassy were also built. From the late 1970s, private commercial facilities such as Hyundai Building and Kyobo Building were established in the southern area of this district, transforming the road in front of Gwanghwamun into a space where high-rise public and private buildings coexist. In 1995, as part of the 70th anniversary of liberation, the old Joseon Government-General Building was demolished, restoring the axis extending from Baegak to Gyeongbokgung Palace and the road in front of Gwanghwamun.

This book examines how this area has changed from the formation of the road in front of Gwanghwamun to the present by period and field. It is divided into the Joseon Dynasty, modern times, and contemporary periods, containing five articles for each, and also includes five articles dealing with the changes of the road in front of Gwanghwamun reflected in literature, film, maps, popular songs, and paintings.

Lee Sang-bae, director of the Seoul Museum of History, said, "With the publication of this book, we hope to confirm the footsteps of the road in front of Gwanghwamun and help it be reborn as a space more familiar to citizens, seeking directions for a better space in the future."

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