More Than Just a Signboard Hangs at Gwanghwamun [Signboard Debate]

"Virtual Model" vs. "Historical Distortion": A Clash of Interpretations

Before the Hangul vs. Chinese Character Debate, Two Perspectives on the "Original Form"

On the morning of the 8th, workers are inspecting the signboard at Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The Gwanghwamun signboard underwent a full-scale experimental photo shoot last summer for scientific color analysis research. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

Editor's NoteThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held the "Gwanghwamun Signboard Forum" at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History on March 31. The debate over whether to install an additional Hangul signboard at Gwanghwamun has expanded beyond the issue of replacing the signboard itself, touching on national identity, principles of cultural heritage preservation, and the future vision for symbolic public spaces. Experts in cultural heritage, Hangul advocates, architects, historians, and tourism specialists each approached the issue from their own professional perspectives. While no consensus was reached, the contours of the debate became much clearer. Once again, Gwanghwamun finds itself at the forefront of a test of the zeitgeist.

Geonbeom Lee, representative of the Korean Language and Culture Alliance, and Cho Seongdeok, former director of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, sharply clashed in their keynote presentations. Lee referenced overseas examples such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the Panthéon in Paris, arguing that the coexistence of tradition and modernity is a universal human value. Cho, on the other hand, reminded the audience that the area around Gwanghwamun has become a stage for the manipulation of symbols of authority, and countered that changing the signboard according to current trends constitutes a distortion of history.

"Insisting on the original form is dogmatic... It should be viewed in terms of national identity"

Lee pointed out that the current Hanzi signboard at Gwanghwamun is itself based on a fragile original. When Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt Gyeongbokgung Palace, the original signboard was written by Im Taeyeong, the commander of the military training division. However, the 2010 restoration was carried out by digitally reviving a faint photograph. The signboard featured black characters on a white background. In 2018, however, the "Gyeongbokgung Construction Diary" discovered in Japan revealed that the original signboard had a black background with gilded characters, leading to yet another replacement in 2023. Lee criticized, "Even when the color scheme was changed, the font from 2010 was retained. At this point, it's essentially a virtual model—insisting that this is the original is nothing but dogmatism."

He cited the spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral as a similar case. After the 2019 fire, there was a clash between those who wanted to restore the last known appearance and those who pushed for a modern redesign. While the decision ultimately favored restoring the previous form, Lee highlighted the paradox that the spire itself was a 19th-century design: the medieval spire had been demolished at the end of the 18th century, and the new one proposed in 1857 by architect Viollet-le-Duc was a contemporary reimagining based on existing records. "The standard for what constitutes 'original' is ultimately a matter of societal judgment," Lee emphasized.

Presentation by Geonbeom Lee, Representative of the Korean Language and Culture Alliance, Yonhap News

As further examples of the coexistence of disparate values, Lee mentioned the Louvre Museum, the Panthéon, and the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. The 21.6-meter glass pyramid at the Louvre, initially met with fierce opposition, was completed in 1989 and has since become a new symbol of the museum. The Panthéon in Paris, originally built as a church, became a mausoleum for national heroes after the French Revolution; the cross atop the dome and the inscription to the Republic on the façade continue to coexist within the same building. The Baths of Caracalla are now used as an opera theater, with the ruins' walls serving as acoustic reflectors.

Lee suggested that the history of Gwanghwamun could be interpreted in the same vein. Both Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun were destroyed during the Japanese invasions of Korea and lay in ruins for more than 270 years, until Heungseon Daewongun's reconstruction in 1865—a creative restoration that embodied the spirit of that era through architecture. "Adding a Hangul signboard today should be seen as a continuation of this legacy," Lee argued.

He also highlighted the legal and historical status of Hangul. In 2004, the Constitutional Court's ruling on the unconstitutionality of moving Korea's capital explicitly stated that "our language is Korean and our script is Hangul," defining this as a fundamental constitutional matter of national identity. The official designation of the national script during the Gabo Reform, the 1948 "Act on Exclusive Use of Hangul," and the 2005 Framework Act on National Language all provide ample legal foundation. Historically, the roots of Hangul can be traced to the founding of the Dongnip Sinmun, Hangul activism by the Korean Language Society, and literacy campaigns led by the people, independent of political power.

On the 1st of last month, a prototype of the Gwanghwamun Hunminjeongeum-style Hangul signboard was unveiled at the 'National Launch Ceremony for the Installation of the Gwanghwamun Hunminjeongeum-style Hangul Signboard in Commemoration of the March 1st Movement,' hosted by the National Association for the Gwanghwamun Hunminjeongeum-style Hangul Signboard, held in front of Gwanghwamun. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

"Hangul is not merely a matter of culture or morality; it is a constitutional matter," Lee asserted. "The absence of Hangul at Gwanghwamun, a symbolic national space, causes confusion about national identity." He further emphasized, "Since Gyeongbokgung is the birthplace of Hangul, using a font derived from the Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon for the signboard would maximize its symbolic significance."

"The evolution of Gwanghwamun ended in 1910"

Cho conducted a meticulous review of the history surrounding Gwanghwamun. He listed instances of symbolic manipulation by those in power: the Japanese colonial government's construction of the Governor-General's Office inside Gyeongbokgung and forced relocation of Gwanghwamun; the Park Chung Hee administration's 1968 restoration using reinforced concrete, installation of a Hangul signboard, and erection of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin statue to project a particular image; the Lee Myung-bak administration's "National Symbolic Street Project"; and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's plan for a giant Taegukgi flagpole. Cho warned, "If things continue this way, regardless of the justification, Gwanghwamun will become nothing more than a playground for those in power."

He defined the essence of cultural heritage as "tangible evidence that allows us to confirm what existed in the past." According to this logic, altering cultural heritage to fit the times distorts history and denies the actions of those who came before us. Based on this, Cho refuted the frequently cited example of the "use of both Hanzi and Manchu on the Forbidden City signboard" as a rationale for adding a Hangul signboard to Gwanghwamun. He argued that in the Qing Dynasty, Manchu was the official language of the ruling class, whereas in Joseon, Hangul was primarily used by commoners and women, while official administration and education relied on classical Chinese.

Presenter Cho Seongdeok, former Director of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Yonhap News Agency

Cho also mentioned the use of French on the British royal coat of arms and the Latin inscription at Sorbonne University's church as examples. The British royal coat of arms bears the French phrase meaning "God and my right," and the church at Sorbonne University, built in the 17th century, still features a Latin inscription meaning "Holy Hall of Theology." There has never been a call to change these, Cho noted. "This is because people respect the actions and culture of those who came before," he argued, "and the Hanzi signboard at Gwanghwamun should be viewed in the same context." Even if it is uncomfortable to acknowledge that Hangul was primarily a script for commoners and women during the Joseon Dynasty, he insisted, this remains an undeniable historical fact.

Cho revisited the meaning of the restoration of Gyeongbokgung itself. "Restoring Gyeongbokgung is about recovering the origins of Seoul and physically reviving the 'collective memory' of Koreans, which was destroyed during the Japanese colonial period," he said. Because the Japanese deliberately damaged the royal palaces to erase the physical embodiment of Korean identity and collective memory, the legitimacy of restoration lies in faithfully reviving what once existed, based on historical evidence. "The evolution of Gwanghwamun ended with Gyeongbokgung in 1910," Cho emphasized. "Inventing a past that never existed is a denial of history and of the people who lived it. We must remain humble before the past."

Gwanghwamun Signboard Color Analysis Replacement

Same Premise, Different Conclusions

Interestingly, both presenters share a common premise: the current Hanzi signboard at Gwanghwamun is not a fully authentic historical original. However, their interpretations diverged sharply. Cho described in detail the color errors made during the 2010 restoration and the subsequent corrections, but saw these as "a process of rectifying mistakes." Lee, looking at the same facts, argued that "the authenticity of the original cannot be assured."

Their core difference boils down to the question of how Gwanghwamun should be categorized. Lee argued that it should be considered not merely as a cultural heritage site, but in terms of national identity. Cho countered that the moment cultural heritage is used as a vehicle for debates about national identity, it becomes vulnerable to distortion and manipulation.

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