The Dongnimmun or Independence Gate will be open to the public for the first time since its erection in 1897.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday the gate will be open to the public from Wednesday as the iron fence around the Gate that limited public access has been removed, and renovation of the Seodaemun Independence Park on 110,000 sq.m of the land around the Gate has been completed.

The city government bought up 3,800 sq.m of rundown residential and commercial area around the Independence Gate and built the Independence Square on 10,000 sq.m of land, enabling anybody to see the Gate closely and walk under the arch in the middle. The Independence Pavilion and the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, which were criticized for Japanese style gardening, were redecorated with traditional Korean gardens, and foreign trees were replaced with indigenous species such as pine and zelkova.

The gate was the first Western-style structure in Korea funded by an association of independence leaders.