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Gwanghwamun Plaza (, also known as Gwanghwamun Square) is a public open space on
Sejongno Sejongno (), also known as Sejong-daero, is a street that runs through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The street is 600 meters in length, but due to its central location it is of great symbolic ...
,
Jongno-gu, Seoul Bosingak bell pavilion Jongno District () is a district () in central Seoul, South Korea. It takes its name from a major local street, Jongno, which means "Bell Road". Characteristics Jongno District has been the center of the city for 600 yea ...
, South Korea. The plaza was opened on 1 August 2009 by the
Seoul Metropolitan Government The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government d ...
and is part of the City's plans for environmentally friendly renovation projects such as the
Cheonggye Stream Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...
and
Seoul Plaza Seoul Plaza is a central plaza located in front of Seoul City Hall at Taepyeongno, Jung-gu, Seoul, Jung-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It was reopened on 1 May 2004, by Seoul Metropolitan Government, with the purpose of providing the public an open sp ...
. It is also historically significant as the location of royal administrative buildings, known as Yukjo-geori or Street of
Six Ministries The Three Departments and Six Ministries () system was the primary administrative structure in imperial China from the Sui dynasty (581–618) to the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It was also used by Balhae (698–926) and Goryeo (918–1392) and ...
; and features statues of
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Yi Sun-sin Admiral Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean admiral and military general famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Over the course of his career, Admiral Yi fough ...
of
Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
and
King Sejong the Great of Joseon Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...
. The goal of opening and reconstructing this plaza is to make it a historical and cultural place for the common citizen.


History

The area of the Gwanghwamun Plaza has a long history. It has been a public space and road for centuries of Korean history. Sometime in the 20th century it was converted into a 16-lane roadway. A new pedestrian-friendly open downtown urban space was first announced in February 2004, along with projects for
Namdaemun Namdaemun (, ), officially known as the Sungnyemun (, ), is one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, South Korea, which surrounded the city in the Joseon dynasty. It is located in Jung-gu between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza, ...
and
Seoul Plaza Seoul Plaza is a central plaza located in front of Seoul City Hall at Taepyeongno, Jung-gu, Seoul, Jung-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It was reopened on 1 May 2004, by Seoul Metropolitan Government, with the purpose of providing the public an open sp ...
. In December 2006, further plans for the plaza were announced. The project, in conjunction with the restoration of Gwanghwamun, was carried out by the
Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea The Cultural Heritage Administration () or CHA, formerly the Cultural Properties Administration, is the agency of the South Korean government charged with preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage. It is headquartered in the city of Dae ...
and scheduled for completion by August 2009. Construction of the plaza was originally scheduled to begin in February 2008, however it was delayed because of opposition from the
National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of E ...
, who were concerned that the plaza could be abused as a venue for mass protests. Construction commenced on 23 April 2008, after the Government decreed it a demonstration-free zone. The plans included moving the old
King Sejong Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...
statue from
Deoksugung Deoksugung, also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea's Royal Family during the Joseon monarchy until Korea under Japanese rule, the annexa ...
to the Plaza. However, after surveys of citizens and experts, it was decided to commission a new statue of King Sejong in a sitting position and chose the design in a competition between a shortlist of artists recommended by the Korean Fine Arts Association and universities. The plaza was opened on 1 August 2009 after a renovation period of 15 months, which downsized the 600-meter
Sejongno Sejongno (), also known as Sejong-daero, is a street that runs through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The street is 600 meters in length, but due to its central location it is of great symbolic ...
from 16 lanes to 10 lanes of traffic, at a cost of . It is in front of
Gwanghwamun Gwanghwamun () is the main and largest gate of Gyeongbok Palace, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is located at a three-way intersection at the northern end of Sejongno. As a landmark and symbol of Seoul's long history as the capital city dur ...
and stretches south from the three-way intersection, along the front of the
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is the largest arts and cultural complex in Seoul, South Korea. It has an interior area of 53,202m². It is situated in the center of the capital, on Sejongno, a main road that cuts through the capital city o ...
on the west side and
Kyobo Book Centre The ''Kyobo Book Centre'' (, also known as ''Kyobo Mungo'') is the largest bookstore chain in South Korea. It has ten stores in seven cities, with the flagship Main Store, or Gwanghwamun-jeom in Seoul, which is located in the basement of the Kyobo ...
on the east side, to the Sejong-ro intersection, where the statue of the
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Yi Sun-sin Admiral Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean admiral and military general famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty. Over the course of his career, Admiral Yi fough ...
stands. At its opening, the plaza was covered with a 162 m long and 17.5 m wide flower carpet, with 224,537 flowers representing the number of days from when Seoul was declared the capital on 28 October 1394, to the opening of the plaza on 1 August 2009. From end of 2020 to August 2022, Gwanghwamun Plaza was closed and redesigned. During the renovation, the street alignment has been changed and the plaza has been expanded. It was reopened on 6 August 2022.


Landmarks

The Plaza features a water fountain in honor of the achievements of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. It is named the ''12.23 Fountain'', to commemorates the 23 battles he fought with 12 warships, when he led Koreans to victory during the
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) The Japanese invasions of Korea of 1592–1598 involved two separate yet linked invasions: an initial invasion in 1592 (), a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597 (). The conflict ended in 1598 with the withdrawal of Japanese force ...
. The water jets rises to a height of 18 meters along with 300 smaller jets, which symbolize the battles he fought on the sea. It also has a waterway, two centimeters deep and one meter across, at 365 meters along the plaza's east side. The floor of it has 617 stones recording the major events from 1392 to 2008. The fountain is located next to the
statue of Admiral Yi Sun-shin The statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin is located at the Sejongno, Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul, South Korea. It is dedicated to the 16th-century Korean war hero, admiral Yi Sun-sin. It is considered one of Seoul's major landmarks and has been called "on ...
. This statue was erected on April 27, 1968. On 9 October 2009, two months after the Plaza opening, a second statue, the 6.2-meter high, 20-ton bronze statue of
King Sejong the Great of Joseon Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...
was unveiled to the public. It is located 250 meters behind the statue of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin. It was dedicated on
Hangul Day The Korean Alphabet Day, known as Hangeul Day () in South Korea, and Chosŏn'gŭl Day () in North Korea, is a national Korean commemorative day marking the invention and proclamation of Hangul (), the Korean alphabet, by the 15th century Korea ...
in celebration of the 563rd anniversary of the invention of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong. Underneath the statues there is a small exhibition hall and museum about the two historical figures depicted the statues.


Administration

Rallies and demonstrations are illegal at the Plaza and the
Seoul Metropolitan Government The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government d ...
has decreed that it is to use for cultural exhibitions and a demonstration-free zone. As of 1 June 2011, the Plaza along with
Seoul Plaza Seoul Plaza is a central plaza located in front of Seoul City Hall at Taepyeongno, Jung-gu, Seoul, Jung-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It was reopened on 1 May 2004, by Seoul Metropolitan Government, with the purpose of providing the public an open sp ...
are designated as smoke-free zones by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Smokers are fined in violation. On 23 September 2012, the Government started on a trial basis, a 550-m designated section of Sejong-ro as pedestrian-only but permitted for cyclists. The section includes the road from the
Gwanghwamun Gwanghwamun () is the main and largest gate of Gyeongbok Palace, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is located at a three-way intersection at the northern end of Sejongno. As a landmark and symbol of Seoul's long history as the capital city dur ...
three-way intersection, along the plaza in front of the
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is the largest arts and cultural complex in Seoul, South Korea. It has an interior area of 53,202m². It is situated in the center of the capital, on Sejongno, a main road that cuts through the capital city o ...
to the Sejong-ro intersection.


Events

The Plaza is the location for the start of the annual
Seoul International Marathon The Seoul International Marathon, also known as the ''Dong-A Ilbo Seoul Marathon or Seoul Marathon'' is an annual marathon race that takes place in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of two annual races over the 42.195 km classic distance in the ...
, which finishes within the
Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
. In the first winter after its opening the Plaza hosted an open air ice-rink from 12 December 2009 to 15 February 2010. The public rink was 2,250 sq. m, which was larger than the one at
Seoul Plaza Seoul Plaza is a central plaza located in front of Seoul City Hall at Taepyeongno, Jung-gu, Seoul, Jung-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It was reopened on 1 May 2004, by Seoul Metropolitan Government, with the purpose of providing the public an open sp ...
at 2,100 sq. m. The plaza was one of the sites of street cheering during the
2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
.


In popular culture

On 29 November 2009, parts of
Sejong-ro Sejongno (), also known as Sejong-daero, is a street that runs through Jongno-gu in downtown Seoul. It is named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon. The street is 600 meters in length, but due to its central location it is of great symbolic ...
were closed to traffic for twelve hours to film lengthy gunfight scenes for
Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...
(KBS)'s 2009 spy action television drama series ''
Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
'', starring
Lee Byung-hun Lee Byung-hun (; born July 12, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He has received critical acclaim for his work in a wide range of genres, most notably ''Joint Security Area'' (2000); ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005); ''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' ...
,
Kim Tae-hee Kim Tae-hee (; born 29 March 1980) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful actresses, she is best known for her roles in Korean dramas such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), ''Love Story in Harvard'' (2004), '' ...
,
Jung Joon-ho Jung Joon-ho (; born October 1, 1970) is a South Korean actor, who gained fame in the 2000 series, Women Like You, (왕추). His recent hits are '' Last Scandal'' (내 생애 마지막 스캔들) and ''IRIS''. Jung Jun-ho has a passionate interes ...
,
Kim Seung-woo Kim Seung-woo (c. February 24, 1969) is a South Korean actor who participated in various films, television series and variety shows through out 1990 until 2022. He also works in different media platforms such as playing a talk show host role. ...
and
Kim So-yeon Kim So-yeon (born November 2, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in a number of well-known television dramas, notably ''All About Eve'' (2000), '' Iris'' (2009), ''Prosecutor Princess'' (2010), '' Happy Home'' ( ...
. The five lanes along the plaza in front of the
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Sejong Center for the Performing Arts is the largest arts and cultural complex in Seoul, South Korea. It has an interior area of 53,202m². It is situated in the center of the capital, on Sejongno, a main road that cuts through the capital city o ...
were closed to traffic from 07:00 to 19:00, while the five lanes on the
Kyobo Book Centre The ''Kyobo Book Centre'' (, also known as ''Kyobo Mungo'') is the largest bookstore chain in South Korea. It has ten stores in seven cities, with the flagship Main Store, or Gwanghwamun-jeom in Seoul, which is located in the basement of the Kyobo ...
side remains open to traffic. This marks the first time the
Seoul Metropolitan Government The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a local government of Seoul, South Korea. The mayor is elected to a four-year term by the citizens of Seoul and is responsible for the administration of the city government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government d ...
has granted permission to blocked traffic along the Plaza for filming and it is part of Government's plans to promote the city's major tourist attractions; including
Cheonggye Stream Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...
and Han River. On 26 July 2012 at 23:00, boy band Beast held a
guerilla concert A guerrilla gig is a type of concert performed in a non-traditional setting or arranged in an unusual fashion. It became associated with punk rock, and noise rock bands in UK and the United States during the early to mid-2000s. Bands who perform ...
at the Gwanghwamun end of the plaza, in front of an audience of 4,000 people. It was part of their promotion for their fifth mini album ''
Midnight Sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, t ...
'', and the performance was broadcast on SBS's music show ''
Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...
''. In 2012, the plaza was used as a filming location for
tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi * TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
drama '' Queen and I'', where the two lead characters Kim Boong-do and Choi Hee-jin, played by
Ji Hyun-woo Ji Hyun-woo (born Joo Hyung-tae on 29 November 1984) is a South Korean actor and musician. He was formerly the lead guitarist for Korean indie rock band and is best known for his leading roles in the cable TV series '' Queen and I'' (2012) and ...
and
Yoo In-na Yoo In-na (; born June 5, 1982) is a South Korean actress and DJ. After supporting roles in '' High Kick! Through the Roof'' (2009–10) and '' Secret Garden'' (2010), she rose to fame as the lead actress in '' Queen and I'' (2012), which led to ...
, share a kiss dubbed the 'Gwanghwamun kiss' against the backdrop of Gwanghwamun. Kyuhyun, of boy band
Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...
, used the location as a theme for his 2014 chart-topping single, "
At Gwanghwamun ''At Gwanghwamun'' () is debut extended play by South Korean singer Kyuhyun. It was released on November 13, 2014, by S.M. Entertainment and distributed by KT Music. The EP features seven tracks in total, including the lead single which shares ...
", and his label-mate
Jo Sung-mo Jo Sung-mo (; born March 11, 1977) is a South Korean pop ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, ...
, of TRAX, recorded a live electric guitar cover of the song with Gwanghwamun Gate in the background. The plaza was a major site of the 2016-17 protests against
Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye (; ; often in English ; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017, until she was impeached and convicted on related corruption charges. Park was the fi ...
's government Now, it has been used for many festivals and events. Recently, a festival called ", was held on September 16 and 17, 2017. Public artists and citizen participated in this festival.


Transport

* Gwanghwamun Station on
Seoul Subway Line 5 Seoul Subway Line 5 of the Seoul Metro, dubbed ''the purple line'', is a long line crossing from west to the east across the Seoul National Capital Area, South Korea. It is one of two subway lines in Seoul to cross ''under'' the Han River (the o ...
: Exit 9 - Haechi Madang, an underground walkway that connects the station to the Plaza


See also

*
Cheonggyecheon Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...


References


External links

{{Commons category, Gwanghwamun Plaza
Gwanghwamun Plaza : Official Seoul City Tourism
Jongno District History of Seoul Squares in Seoul Tourist attractions in Seoul 2009 establishments in South Korea