Dongnipgwan (Independence Hall)

Dongnipgwan, located in Seodaemun Independence Park, is a restored building that originally served as the office of the Independence Club (Dongnip Hyeophoe) during the Japanese colonial period, after being demolished. The building was originally Mohwagwan, a guesthouse used to entertain Chinese envoys, and was later used by the Independence Club after the First Sino-Japanese War. In 1894, it was renovated at the initiative of Seo Jae-pil and led by the Independence Club, and renamed Dongnipgwan. It was used as a venue for patriotic debates to promote ideas of sovereignty, civil rights, and self-strengthening, and together with the Independence Gate (Dongnimmun), it symbolized independence, but was demolished by the Japanese. Dongnipgwan is a single-story Korean-style wooden building with a front of 6 kan, a side of 4 kan, and a 7-ryang paljak (hip-and-gable) roof structure. Its original location was approximately 350 meters to the southeast. According to the Seodaemun Independence Park development plan and expert consultation on historical accuracy, the ground floor was restored as a Korean-style wooden building as originally built, and is used to enshrine the spirit tablets of patriotic martyrs and as an exhibition hall, while the basement is used for events and artifact storage. It was built by Seoul Metropolitan Government in 1996. Address: 251 Tongil-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Hyeonjeo-dong)