The Japanese Colonial Period Through Photographs II The Japanese Colonial Period Through Photographs I Royal Documents Capture End of an Empire

On several occasions, Japanese colonial officials intentionally damaged the gate, which as the front gate of the palace at the time was a symbol of the Korean nation. Current debate over the signboard on the gate, written by president Park Chung-hee, pales in historical comparison to the damage done to the gate by the Japanese imperialist forces, experts say.

Gwanghwamun around 1900, after its 1867 rebuilding by Regent Heungseon and before the Japanese attacks. The railings of the steps in front of the gate are clearly visible. The central steps and central gate could be ascended by the king only.

Marking the March 1 Independence Movement Day, the Chosun Ilbo examines the traumatic history of the gate through 110 photographs from the collection of Joeng Seong-gil, honorary head of the Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center Museum. They show the gate from the end of the Daehan Empire through the multiple violations it suffered at the hands of the Japanese authorities between 1910 and 1929.

Gwanghwamun and Haetae (unicorn-lion) statues in 1904. The Haetae statues, which are now right in front of the gate, were placed much further away. They were moved west of the Geunjeongjeon by the Japanese in 1923 and later out in front of the colonial government office.

As the front gate to the Chosun Dynasty’s throne room, the Gwanghwamun gate was a symbol of the Korean royal family. During the Japanese occupation, however, it was repeatedly damaged.

The Japanese first removed the stone steps in front of the gate -- which linked the central portion of the gate and could only be ascended by the king himself. The steps were turned into a ramp for vehicles.

Gwanghwamun decked out for a trade exhibition organized by the Japanese in 1923. The stonework has been decorated with Japanese designs, and the Japanese flag hangs down over the entrance. Inside can be seen the government-general building, still under construction.

The Japanese also held exhibitions in Gyeongbok Palace, using the Gwanghwamun gate as the front entrance. By decorating it rather haphazardly in Japanese fashion they reduced it to a vulgar eye catcher.

The Japanese, who erected their government-general office in Gyeongbok Palace, moved the Gwanghwamun gate to the current Folk Museum site, saying that because it was located in front of their office, it blocked their view.

Gwanghwamun as it stands now

The present location of the Gwanghwamun gate was where the front gate to the government-general building was located. This is different from where the gate was located during the Chosun Dynasty. Unlike the palace, which faces Gwanak Mountain, the gate is set 5.6 degrees off, toward South Mountain. This is because after the Japanese constructed a Shinto shrine atop South Mountain in honor of the ancestral god of the Japanese nation, they built what is now Sejong-no road heading toward South Mountain. The road became Seoul's central artery, and the gate was restored at a 90-degree angle to Sejong-no road.

The gate was destroyed during the Korean War and rebuilt in its present form in 1968 by president Park Chung-hee.

(englishnews@chosun.com )