Marmot’s Vacation Day 2: Historical Daehangno

Full-Sized Photos: Thanks to TanTan Noodles’ Flickr Photo Album plugin, you can now enjoy the full-sized photos (usually 1,200px) in a pleasant Lightbox environment just by clicking the images. Give it a try!

NOTE: This is the second in a series of photo essays/travelogues from my vacation. I’ll be posting Day 3 and Day 4 tonight and tomorrow, time permitting.

Visitors to Seoul are probably quite familiar with Daehangno (“University Street”), the former location of Seoul National University (founded in 1924 as Keijo Imperial University). Of course, its association with higher education goes back much further than the colonial era. Joseon Korea’s highest institute of higher learning, the Seonggyungwan, was — and still is — located on the campus of today’s Sungkyunkwan University.

Daehangno is best known as Seoul’s “theater district,” a sort of “off-Broadway” area of small theaters and performing arts venues. It’s a youthful neighborhood full of energy and romance. In this post, however, we’ll examine Daehangno’s historic side. Some of the sites we’ve seen before, but some we haven’t. Highlights include:

• Hyehwa-dong Residents Center
• Former Prime Minister Chang Myon House
• Ihwajang (former home of Syngman Rhee)
• Former SNU Buildings
• Former Daehan Hospital
• Former National Industry Institute Main Hall
• Seonggyungwan
• Mt. Naksan and Seoul Fortress Walls
• Heunginjimun Gate (a.k.a. Dongdaemun Gate)
• Hakrim Coffee House

Hyehwa-dong Residents Center

Hyehwa-dong Residents Center is Korea’s first hanok precinct office. A remodeled 69 year-old home, it opened for business in 2004. One of the structures is used as a civil affairs center, while the other is a library/lounge. In between is a lovely little Korean garden. Interestingly, the walls are made entirely of plate-glass windows to symbolize government transparency. Hanok purists might not be enthralled, but it’s still an interesting utilization of Korean traditional architecture for present-day goals.

Former Prime Minister Chang Myon’s House

The home of former Prime Minister Chang Myon has been undergoing extensive restoration work following criticism that the place was falling apart. Architecturally, it’s an interesting place — built in 1937, it’s a mixture of Korean, Japanese and Western architectural styles. Restoration work is scheduled for completion in December.

Chang Myon (for English, see here) is an interesting figure. A graduate of the YMCA English School and Manhattan College in New York, Chang was a devout Roman Catholic; his son, in fact, later became Bishop of Chuncheon and president of the Korean Conference of Catholic Bishops. During the colonial era, he was highly involved in the Catholic education movement, and was particularly close with the Maryknoll Fathers (his sister, Mary Agneta Chang, was a Maryknoll nun).

He entered politics after Liberation, serving as a lawmaker and in the congress that wrote the Republic of Korea constitution. He was South Korea’s chief representative to the third UN general assembly in Paris in 1948, where he worked to get international recognition for the new republic. He became South Korea’s first ambassador to the United States in 1949, a position in which he served during the critical opening years of the Korean War. He was instrumental in getting UN and US support for the South Korean war effort. Just prior to the war, he managed to pick up a doctorate in law from Fordham University, too.

In 1951, he was named Prime Minister by President Syngman Rhee, but he resigned the following year. Afterwards, he led the opposition effort against the dictatorial tendencies of Rhee and his Liberal Party. In 1955, he helped organize the Democratic Party (the progenitor of today’s Democratic Party), and managed to get himself elected vice president (in those days, the president and vice president were elected separately) in 1956. In the Democratic Party convention of that year, he was slightly wounded by a sniper. The next year, he picked up another doctorate in law from yet another American Catholic school — in this case, those plonkers at Seton Hall — before becoming the running mate for Cho Pyong-ok in the 1960 election. Cho died following surgery in the United States just prior to the election, however, and Rhee won reelected. The Liberal Party then tried to fix the vice presidential election to get Rhee’s man, Yi Ki-bung, elected. They succeeded, but the resulting outrage led to the April 19 Student Revolution:

In March 1960, the Liberal Party managed to reelect Rhee and to elect Yi Ki-bung vice president by the blatant use of force. Rhee was reelected by default because his principal opponent had died while receiving medical treatment in the United States just before the election. As for Yi, he was largely confined to his sickbed–a cause of public anger–but “won” 8.3 million votes as against 1.8 million votes for Chang Myon. The fraudulent election touched off civil disorders, known and celebrated as the April 19 Student Revolution, during which 142 students were killed by the police. As a result, Rhee resigned on April 26, 1960. The next day all four members of the Yi family died in a suicide pact. This account has been challenged by some who believed Yi’s family was killed by his bodyguards in hopes of enabling Rhee to stay on.

On July 15, 1960, elections for a new, bicameral parliament were held, with Chang’s Democratic Party winning 175 of 233 seats in the lower house and 31 of 58 seats in the upper house. Chang became premier of the new British-style parliamentary system — the Second Republic — with Yun Po-sun serving as the figurehead president. Korea finally had democratic rule. Chang and Yun just couldn’t play nice, however, and Chang ended up reshuffling his cabinet three times in a five-month period. Yun ended up forming his own party, student protests racked the country, and turmoil reigned. Finally, on May 16, 1961, young military officers led by Major Gen. Park Chung-hee launched a coup that overthrew Chang. Chang resisted, but President Yun — who backed the coup leaders — persuaded the US 8th Army and South Korean military commanders to accept the junta, which was widely welcomed following the chaos of the Chang administration.

After his overthrow, Chang was banned from politics. He spent much of the rest of his time until his death in 1966 engaged in religious activities. As much as a failure his administration turned out to be, he was the last democratic ruler Korea would have until 1987.

Ihwajang (former home of Syngman Rhee)

A short walk from Seoul National University Elementary School in the direction of Mt. Naksan brings you to the Iwhajang, the former residence of Korea’s first president, Yi Seung-man, or Syngman Rhee as he’s better known in the West.

Now, Uncle Syngman didn’t actually live in the house all that long. After returning to Korea from the United States in 1945, he spent some time in Donam-dong before — with the help of some prominent businessmen — he moved into the home in October 1947. However, he moved to Gyeong Mu Dae — the former residence of the Japanese Governor-General and what is now the presidential mansion of Cheong Wa Dae — in July 1948, just prior to the official proclamation of the Republic of Korea the following month. Still, Rhee must have liked the place, since while in office, he would occasionally return to stroll amidst its gardens and ponder national affairs. After Rhee resigned from office in 1960, he, the former First Lady and Happy the First Dog returned briefly to the Ihwajang before heading to exile in Hawaii.

The house itself is a modernized (read: Westernized/Japanified) hanok built in 1934, surrounded by truly beautiful gardens. There is also a small, detached building on a hill overlooking the garden, which is significant as it was here Korea’s first cabinet was proclaimed. The main structures are well-maintained and now used as exhibit halls. If you have an interest in modern Korean history, it’s well worth a visit (you need to make a reservation three days in advance, however!), especially if you enjoy old photographs, of which there are a ton.

This humble little hanok structure on a hill overlooking the garden is called the Jogakdang — so named because it was here that Rhee formed and announced his first cabinet.

Here we can see more of the beautiful gardens as well as the main halls of the Ihwadang, where the historical displays are housed.

The displays are a bit musky, but I suppose that lends them a certain charm. Rhee’s office, the presidential bed chamber, and the study of Austrian-born First Lady Francesca Rhee are well-maintained and full of interesting pieces of presidential history. A note about Mrs. Rhee — after her husband died in Hawaii in 1965, she returned to Korea in 1970, and apparently lived at Ihwajang with her adopted son until she passed away in 1992.

I got a real kick out of this photo — in real life, there was little love lost between Rhee, Kim Koo (president of the Korean government-in-exile) and General John Hodges (caveat: link via Korea Web Weekly):

On November 2, 1945, Kim Gu received Gen. Hodge’s permission to return home. Gen. Hodge was not comfortable with Rhee Syngman and hoped to use Kim Gu to control the Korean people for him. Kim Gu wanted to install his government-in-exile (the Korean Provisional Government in China) in post-liberation Korea, but both the United States and the Soviet Union were opposed to Kim Gu’s idea. Kim Gu was not allowed to return to Korea until he signed a statement promising that he would return as a private citizen – not as president of the Korean Provisional Government.

Kim Gu returned home on November 23, 1945. There was no marching band, no red carpet – only American military police escorts – for the man who had fought for Korean independence for so many years. Undaunted, Kim Gu, the old feisty fighter, proclaimed: “We will have to discharge all officials appointed by the interpreters of the US Military Government. When Japan fell on August 15, 1945, all pro-Japanese and national traitors under the Japanese first went into hiding but later came out to buy off the interpreters so that they could get positions in the provincial governments, the district government and the police. We must clean out all these people, and at the same time, stop this spirit of dependence on foreign countries.”

On December 31, 1945, Kim Gu attempted a coup d’etat but he was betrayed. Gen. Hodge had Kim Gu brought to his office and warned him that he would be shot if he “double crossed” the US military again. Kim Gu and other like-minded nationalist leaders were emasculated and had to watch helplessly “English interpreters” and pro-Japanese traitors take over the nation.

Former SNU Buildings

Daehangno (“University Street”) is so named because it used to be the location of Seoul National University (SNU), Korea’s foremost institute of higher learning. In 1975, however, the university relocated south of the Hangang River to a location on the slopes of Mt. Gwanaksan.

Fortunately for history buffs, some of the old university buildings are still with us. The best example is the former Main Hall, which you see above. Completed in 1931, when SNU was known as Keijo Imperial University, it was designed by Park Gil-ryong, one of Korea’s earliest architects trained in Western architecture. Like a lot of buildings built by or under the Japanese in the early 20th century, it employs scratch tile — an influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, who had a profound impact on Japanese modern architecture.

The former home of Keijo Imperial University Medical School still functions as the Main Hall of SNU Medical School, which remained in Daehangno after the rest of the university moved. The facade — scratch tile and all — dates from 1924, although the rest of the building has been largely renovated beyond recognition.

I believe this old gate, currently the front gate to SNU Elementary School, was originally the front gate to SNU law school… but don’t quote me on that.

Old National Industry Institute Main Hall

We’ve seen this wonderful piece of Daehan Empire-era architecture before, so I’ll just repeat what I said then:

Across Daehangno from SNU Medical School, on the campus of Korea Open University, is the former main hall of National Industry Institute.

Like Daehan Hospital, the National Industry Institute was built in the Daehan Empire era — 1908, to be more specific — and its design was overseen by the architecture bureau of the Takjibu, the royal finance ministry. Also like the Daehan Hospital, the building was designed by a Japanese architect.

After the conclusion of the Protectorate Treaty of 1907, a two-tiered system of administration developed in Korea. On one hand, you had the royal government of the Daehan Empire, and on the other you had the Japanese Residency-General. Officially, the Agriculture, Industry and Trade Ministry of the Daehan Empire established the National Industry Institute, but in actual fact, the Residency-General was quite influential, with Japanese engineering professor Hiraga Yoshi — an industrial policy adviser to the Agriculture, Industry and Trade Ministry — playing a major role.

When it was founded, the National Industry Institute had six departments — architecture, civil engineering, applied chemistry, metallurgy, dyeing and ceramics. Its first class had 74 students, and at the time, it was Korea’s highest industrial institute.

After Liberation, the institute became an industrial research center attached to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and is now an annex for Korea Open University.

The building itself is a large, German-style Renaissance structure built entirely out of wood. In the early days of Japanese imperialism, Japanese architects were partial to building Western-style buildings out of wood, although they’d employ other materials as time went on. As one of the earliest examples of Western architecture in Korea and one of the few remaining examples of Daehan Empire-architecture designed by the Takjibu.

How a wood building like this survived the ravages of modern Korean history, I haven’t a clue. But I’m sure glad it did.

Old Daehan Hospital

Ah, the old Daehan Hospital — possibly the most beautiful piece of early 20th century architecture in Korea. Built in 1907, the Daehan Hospital was Korea’s top medical center for much of the 20th century. Commissioned by the Korean (Daehan) Imperial Government and designed by a Japanese architect, it’s a wonderfully ornate red-brick building with a good many neo-Baroque touches, including the landmark clock tower and the bulbous dome on the annex. In the early 20th century, it was considered one of Seoul’s three greatest buildings, along with the Bank of Korea and Oriental Development Company headquarters.

The interior still has a good deal of Daehan Empire-era charm, including the beautiful central staircase.

The second floor of old Daehan Hospital now houses the Museum of Medicine, which — as you could probably guess — recounts the history of Korean medicine. For a small museum, it’s rather interesting, with lots of old photos of Daehan Hospital (which, under the Japanese, was a mammoth complex) and displays of old medical equipment and gadgets, such as the pair of 18th century eyeglasses above.

Seonggyungwan and Munmyo Shrine

For ages Korea’s top center of higher learning, Seonggyungwan traces its history back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918—1392), when the royal court first established the school in Kaesong as part of an effort to bring about administrative reform on the Confucian model. After the neo-Confucian Joseon Dynasty was founded in 1392, King Taejo relocated the school to the new royal capital of Seoul in 1395. The boarding school took in the best of the best — from the time of King Sejong the Great, the number of students settled at 200. Students were trained in the Chinese classics, with the goal being to pass the all-important civil service exam, or gwageo.

The gwageo system was done away in the modernizing Gabo Reforms of 1894, however, and with the modernization of Korea’s education system, Seonggyungwan was transformed into an institute to protect Korean Confucianism and Korean traditional ethics, a spirit that lives on in today’s Sungkyunkwan University. Indeed, Confucian rites are still performed at the school every spring and fall.

The Seonggyungwan/Munmyo Confucian Shrine complex is 17 buildings in all. Many of the buildings apparently date from an early 17th-century reconstruction. Unfortunately, much of the complex is off-limits to general visitors, although the 17th century Myeongnyundang Hall, where lectures on Confucianism were given, and east and west dormitories are open. In the courtyard are two gigantic, 500-year-old ginkgo trees, which must be absolutely spectacular when they turn color later this autumn.

The old academy and shrine was the source of some controversy in the past between the Cultural Heritage Administration and Sungkyunkwan University over classes and educational programs held in the complex, which is an interesting example of the conflict between utilization and preservation.

Mt. Naksan and Seoul Fortress Walls

One of the royal capital’s four protective mountains, Mt. Naksan, or “Camel Mountain,” marked the eastern boundary of old Seoul. At one time, it was apparently a granite peak, but 20th century urbanization covered the hillsides with homes and apartments. Beginning in 1999, Seoul City began work on Naksan Park in an effort to restore the mountain to something approximating its former glory. The park opened in 2002.

Mt. Naksan offers some excellent views of downtown Seoul, as well as great views of Seoul’s old fortress walls. In you’d like, you can walk along the wall from Dongdaemun Gate to Naksan Park — it’s a nice stroll, and the wall runs along some older neighborhoods that you should check out while they’re still around. You can also walk to Ihwajang (see above) from the park, too — check out this walking tour for more information.

Heunginjimun Gate (a.k.a. Dongdaemun Gate)

Yep, it’s the Heunginjimun Gate, better known as Dongdaemun Gate, or “Great East Gate.” Since the fire that destroyed Sungnyemun Gate, this is the oldest of Seoul’s main gates — it dates from an 1869 reconstruction. Its remarkably ornate wooden superstructure is typical of late Joseon Dynasty architecture. It is the only one of Seoul’s old eight gates with an additional half-moon wall that offered additional protection — you can’t really see it in these photographs, but trust me, it’s there.

Hakrim Dabang

I suppose it wouldn’t be an urban tour post without a culinary recommendation.

Hakrim Dabang is an old-style Korean coffeehouse that has been around since 1956. In addition to serving good coffee and wonderful cream cheesecake, it’s known for its collection of classical music records. A Daehangno institution, it has comforted many a professor, student activist and cultural figure over the last five decades. You can find it across from the KFC on Daehangno’s main street.