The Marmot’s Hole

It’s odd that I haven’t posted on Jeongdok Public Library — Registered Cultural Property No. 2 — since it’s located exactly opposite my office.

Before becoming a public library in 1977, Jeongdok Library was Kyunggi High School, Korea’s top secondary school and the alma mater of many of Korea’s political and economic elites. It is also Korea’s oldest secondary school, having opened in 1900 based on an royal edict issued the previous year.

The library is a pleasant place to walk around, particularly in spring (when its cherry blossoms bloom) and fall (when its ginkgo trees turn color). It’s also home to three colonial era buildings: a red brick building (now the Seoul Education Museum) built in 1927, a concrete main hall built in 1938 and an old classroom (now a cafeteria) also built in 1938. Also on its campus is one of Seoul’s few remaining Joseon-era government buildings, the old Chongchinbu.

As you can see, this neighborhood is full of galleries and museums. It’s also full of quaint little cafes, too. Generally a nice place to be.

The Seoul Education Museum was originally the main hall of what was then called Gyeongseong Normal School, which would later become Kyunggi High School. Built in 1927, the red-brick building is typical of Japanese colonial school construction. The museum now holds displays and artifacts describing the history of Korea’s education system.

The main hall of Jeongdok Library used to be the main hall of Kyunggi High School. When it was built in 1938, it was the most modern school building in Korea, equipped even with a steam heating system (a rarity at the time). Like many colonial-era public buildings, the entry way is roofed, but wide enough to allow a car to come straight to the door.

In 1976, Kyunggi High School moved to a new campus in Gangnam, and the old campus was turned into a public library.

Looking out from the arched entrance of the main hall towards downtown Seoul. Nice, ain’t it?

This old Japanese-style building, built in 1938, was originally used as a classroom, although it now serves as the library cafeteria.

The Chongchinbu was a Joseon-era ministry whose duty it was to preserve the royal family’s genealogical registry. It also handled matters pertaining to title and rank. The building, built sometime in the late Joseon era, is one of Seoul’s few remaining Joseon-era government offices, most of the rest having been demolished since the colonial period.

As I said above, Jeongdok Library is a really nice place to visit in fall, when you can stroll beneath (or atop) the autumn leaves. Of particular note are its ginkgo trees — you have to love that golden color, especially against the cerulean sky.