Gwanghuimun

37°33′51.75″N 127°00′36.27″E / 37.5643750°N 127.0100750°E / 37.5643750; 127.0100750

Gwanghuimun
Gwanghuimun, February 2014
Korean name
Hangul
광희문
Hanja
光熙門
RRGwanghuimun
MRKwanghŭimun

Gwanghuimun (Korean: 광희문; Hanja: 光熙門; lit. 'Bright Light Gate';[1] also known as Southeast Gate) is one of The Eight Gates of Seoul in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, South Korea, which surrounded the city in the Joseon period. The gate is also known as Namsomun (남소문; lit. 'South Small Gate'). It was originally called Sugumun (수구문; 水口門; lit. 'Water Channel Gate').[2][3]

History

Among Daedongyeojido, the Gwanghuimun part of the Daedongyeojido Island is emphasized with white boxes.

Gwanghuimun was originally built in 1396, and was rebuilt from 1711 to 1719. It was the only gate to be left virtually untouched during the Japanese Occupation. However, it was largely destroyed during the Korean War, but was restored in 1976.[4]

Gwanghuimun was completed in September 1396 (the 5th year of King Taejo's reign) alongside other fortress gates.[5] At this time, it was constructed between Heunginjimun and Mokmyeoksan (as well as Taraksan), located south of the Igansumun water gate, where the Namsomundongcheon stream meets the Cheonggyecheon stream. The wooden gate pavilion (munru) was built as a single-story structure, measuring 3칸 (kan) in the front and 2칸 on the sides, with a hip roof (Ujingak shape). It was primarily used by commoners; there is no historical record of a king using Gwanghuimun, except when the king fled to Namhansanseong in a palanquin during the Byeongja Horan (Manchu invasion).[6]

a piece of composition that was attached to the gate of light.
Gwanghuimun Gate in the late Joseon Dynasty. There is still a gatekeeper.
The image of the beginning of the Japanese colonial era. The cross-dressing is being torn down.
A photo of Gwanghuimun taken inside the city in 1916. A cigarette sign and a rickshaw are seen below. The gatekeeper's cross-dressing is crumbling.
A panoramic view of the Gwanghuimun Gate in 1916.

Through various wars, all the gate pavilions of the Fortress Wall of Seoul were destroyed, except for Sungnyemun and Heunginjimun. King Sukjong and King Yeongjo reconstructed these destroyed pavilions, and Gwanghuimun was the very first to be rebuilt. In 1711 (the 37th year of King Sukjong's reign), Min Jin-hu proposed the reconstruction of Gwanghuimun, which was accepted, and the Geumwiyoung (Military Command), which was in charge of managing Gwanghuimun, began construction in February. At this time, instead of making it a double-story structure like Sungnyemun and Heunginjimun, it was planned as a single-story structure, following the precedent of the gates at Namhansanseong.[7] By April 11 of the following year, the stone foundation (yuktuk) of 9칸 was rebuilt, and an arched gate (hongyemun) was installed. However, it was decided to rebuild the wooden pavilion later after securing enough timber, and the wood gathered up to that point was instead used for the reconstruction of Doneuimun .[6][8] Based on Min Jin-hu's statement on January 25, 1719 (the 45th year of King Sukjong's reign) that "all gate pavilions were erected after the fortress wall was built at the beginning of the dynasty," it is believed to have been completed before that date,[9] and a new hanging plaque (pyonaek) was installed in February.[6] The traditional decorative coloring (Dancheong) was painted in 1744, the 20th year of King Yeongjo's reign.[10]

During the Japanese colonial period, due to a lack of proper management, the battlements (yeojang) of the pavilion collapsed, and hygiene issues arose as beggars loitered around the area. Consequently, in 1928, the Historical Relics Preservation Society demolished the wooden pavilion along with Hyehwamun, citing difficulties in management due to a lack of funds.[11] The stone foundation was not demolished and remained intact even after the Korean War. In 1966, its demolition was debated again for the expansion of Toegyero, but it was ultimately decided to preserve it.[12]

In 1975, because it stood in the middle of the road like an island and obstructed the main road connecting Toegyero and Wangsimni, the gate was dismantled and restored 12 meters to the south. During this restoration, a new 12-평 (pyeong) gate pavilion was built, and the surrounding 200 pyeong was turned into a green space.[13] The calligraphy for the hanging plaque at this time was written by Kim Eung-hyun.[14] On February 17, 2014, it was opened to the general public for the first time in 39 years,[12] and in April of the same year, the local district office introduced the 'Gwanghuimun Fortress Course' so that tourists could step inside the second-floor gate pavilion.[15]

Architectural features

The stone foundation (yuktuk) of Gwanghuimun measures 6 meters in height and 8.7 meters in width. Similar to other gates of the city, excluding Sungnyemun and Heunginjimun, it features a single-story wooden gate pavilion (munru). The height of this pavilion is 5.9 meters. The roof is built in the Ujingak shape (a hip roof structure) utilizing the choikgong style.[16] Following the traditional iconography of the Four Auspicious Beasts (Sashindo), the ceiling of the arched entrance (hongye) features a Blue Dragon and a Yellow Dragon facing each other with a cintamani (yeouiju) between them, a design highly similar to the one found at Heunginjimun.[16] On the sloping ridges (chunyewandu) of the roof, a decorative dragon head (yongdu) and seven ornamental japsang figurines are placed, which perfectly aligns with the architectural conventions of other single-story gate pavilions.[16]

Usage

Ganmun (Intermediary Gate)

The gates of the Fortress Wall of Seoul were strictly categorized into main gates (jeongmun) and intermediary gates (ganmun), with Gwanghuimun belonging to the latter. Consequently, when welcoming foreign envoys, diplomatic protocols dictated that Japanese envoys—who held a neighborly diplomatic relation under the traditional policy of Sadae kyorin—were required to enter the capital through Gwanghuimun, which functioned as a designated ganmun.[17]

Furthermore, there were significant differences in the daily opening/closing procedures and the deployment of guarding military forces. Unlike the main gates, which were heavily guarded by a fourth-senior rank Hogun officer and 30 gatekeepers (sumunbyeong), Gwanghuimun was guarded by two junior-sixth rank Bujang officers and 10 gatekeepers.[18][19] The operational protocols also varied; while the main gates required both the royal Sunjeonpyoshin and Buheom tokens to be opened, Gwanghuimun could be opened with just the Gaemunpyoshin token. However, on days when the gate had to remain open continuously, the royal Sunjeonpyoshin token was dispatched to Gwanghuimun as well.[20]

Sigumun (Corpse Gate)

A member of Sindang-ri or In Cemetery outside Gwanghuimun Gate.

No burials were permitted inside the capital wall, and funeral processions could only pass through two specific gates among the Four Small Gates (Saso-mun): Souimun and Gwanghuimun. This was because Changuimun was located in a mountainous area with inconvenient access, and Hyehwamun was actively used as the northern gate to substitute for the closed Sukjeongmun. Therefore, a vast majority of funeral processions passed through Gwanghuimun, a practice that applied not only to ordinary commoners but also to royal relatives. The funeral processions of Royal Noble Consort Gyeongbin Kim, Princess Myeongon, and the infamous Hui-bin Jang all passed through Gwanghuimun. This gate was systematically utilized whenever a procession headed toward royal tombs (won) or burial grounds (myo) located to the east, excluding the grand imperial tombs (neung).[17] Even though the area directly outside Gwanghuimun was designated as a restricted zone (geumpyo) where burying bodies was strictly forbidden, it ironically became one of the most densely crowded cemetery sites alongside the nearby Yeongdo-gyo bridge area.[21]

During the late Joseon period, Donghwalinseo (the Eastern Office for Healthcare and Relief), which had been temporarily abolished during the reign of Yeonsangun, was relocated and established from the Sungshin district to the Dumo district.[22] In addition to isolating and treating infectious patients, Hwalinseo was also responsible for managing those who died of illness. To handle this, corpses were buried right outside Gwanghuimun, forming massive graveyards.[22]

Due to these historical associations, the gate earned the notorious alias **Sigumun** (屍口門), literally meaning the "Corpse Gate."[6] Gwanghuimun was frequently treated as an impure or ominous gate (bujeongmun); thus, when local civilians referred to the gates of the capital, they occasionally excluded Gwanghuimun and referred to them as the "Eight Gates."[23] As this perception deeply settled into folk culture, the public gradually began calling it Sugumun rather than its official auspicious name, Gwanghui (meaning "Bright Light"). In 17th-century texts like Jibong yuseol, instances occurred where the historical Namsomun was completely confused with Gwanghuimun.[24]

There is also an interpretation linking the etymology of the current Sindang-dong (where the characters mean "Spirit Hall") to the death-related attributes of Gwanghuimun. The core of this theory suggests that because of Gwanghuimun's heavy association with death, a large shaman village and numerous spiritual shrines (sindang) were established surrounding the gate.[25]

During the reign of Emperor Gojong, the hills outside Gwanghuimun became densely packed with graves. In 1902, a crematorium for Japanese residents was built, and the official Sindang-ri public cemetery was organized.[6] Impoverished lower-class citizens began building illegal shacks to live there, and some even constructed makeshift huts in the middle of the public cemetery, creating opium dens.[26]

On August 1, 1907, a tragic photograph showing the bodies of soldiers who were killed while resisting the forced disbandment of the Korean Empire military being abandoned outside Gwanghuimun was published in the French magazine L'Illustration.[27] A total of 60 bodies were placed outside Gwanghuimun at this time, and all the soldiers whose relatives did not come to claim them were buried together in the cemetery right outside the gate.[28]

Catholic holy site

During the Shinyu Persecution of 1801, numerous Catholic missionaries and believers were executed, and the bodies of those whose relatives could not be found were carried through Gwanghuimun—which functioned as the corpse gate at the time—and abandoned outside. It is estimated that the bodies of 794 martyrs in total were disposed of through Gwanghuimun; among them, 54 bodies are believed to have been abandoned during the period from the Shinyu Persecution (1801) to the Byeongo Persecution (1846), while the remaining 740 bodies were abandoned between the Byeongin Persecution (1866) and the Gimyo Persecution (1879).[29] In particular, it is estimated that 44 out of the 103 Korean Martyr Saints and 27 out of the 124 Blessed Martyrs were buried or abandoned here.[30][31]

Accordingly, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul erected a martyrdom memorial tower in May 1999, installed a liturgical altar in April 2008, and established the Martyrdom Memorial Hall directly in front of Gwanghuimun in August 2014.[31][32]

Preservation

Gwanghuimun is located in Gwanghui-dong 2-ga, Jung District, Seoul, at the intersection of Geumhodong-gil and Toegye-ro. The current gate is located slightly further south than the original gate, due to road construction.

The gate can be easily accessed from the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, which is located on both subway line 2 and subway line 4. It is located about 1/2 block south from subway line 2, exit 3; and about 2 1/2 blocks east from subway line 4, exit 4. Visitors to the gate today are not allowed access above the gate, but can go through the gate and circle the section of the Fortress Wall it is connected to.

References

  1. ↑ "The Gates and Walls of Seoul". Korean News Today. Retrieved 2012-07-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ↑ "Hanyangdoseong (Seoul City Wall)". Korea Heritage Service. Retrieved 2026-04-04. has been known by other names such as Sugumun ('Water Gate')
  3. ↑ ""Gwanghuimun Gate, Hydrangea Gate, and Psalm Gate." "Hanyang Doseong Museum "광희문, 수구문, 시구문". <한양도성박물관>".
  4. ↑ "Gwanghuimun Gate". Exploring Korea. Archived from the original on 2012-06-11. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  5. ↑ "《태조실록》 10권 5년 9월 24일, 성 쌓는 일이 끝나자 인부들을 돌려 보내다. 각 문의 이름. 국사편찬위원회" (in Korean). Translated by The Annals of Taejo Vol. 10, Sept. 24, 5, to send back workers when the construction of the castle was finished. Name of each inquiry. National History Compilation Committee
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gwanghuimun Gate, Hydrangea Gate, and Psalm Gate". "Seoul Museum of History".
  7. ↑ 459 books of Seungjeongwon Ilgi (24 books of post-extraction) King Sukjong, March 14, 37th, article 26/29 of Gyemyo (1711) 승정원일기 459책 (탈초본 24책) 숙종 37년 3월 14일 계묘 26/29 기사(1711년)
  8. ↑ 《숙종실록》 50권 37년 6월 3일, 수구문을 개설함으로 인해 돈의 문루를 조성하다. 국사편찬위원회 (in Korean). Translated by The Annals of King Sookjong Volume 50, June 3, 37, opens a gatehouse for money. National History Compilation Committee
  9. ↑ 《숙종실록》 63권 45년 1월 25일, 책문 후시를 허락치 않다. 온 가족이 여역에 몰사한 호마다 곡식 1석씩 주게 하다. 국사편찬위원회 (in Korean). The Annals of King Sookjong 63 volume, January 25, 45, disallowed. Give one stone of grain to each house where the whole family perished in the female role. National History Compilation Committee
  10. ↑ 976 books of Seungjeongwon Ilgi (53 books of de-extraction) King Yeongjo August 27, 20 Sinmi 60/60 Articles (1744) 승정원일기 976책 (탈초본 53책) 영조 20년 8월 27일 신미 60/60 기사 (1744년)
  11. ↑ "Dongso with 500 years of history, Sugu Yangmun Railway, Dong-A Ilbo, 1928.07.12. 오백년의역사가진 동소,수구양문철훼, 《동아일보》, 1928.07.12".
  12. 1 2 세계일보. "Jung-gu District, Gwanghuimun Gate, which was released on the 17th, opened for the first time in 39 years, "Segye Ilbo", 2014.02.11". 중구, 17일 시신 내보내던 광희문 39년 만에 개방, 《세계일보》, 2014.02.11.
  13. ↑ ""熙 Gate". "The Great Encyclopedia of Korean National Culture". "광희문(光熙門)". 《한국민족문화대백과사전》".
  14. ↑ "Gwanghuimun Restoration Project, "Trendy Newspaper", November 17, 1975". 광희문 복원준공, 《경향신문》, 1975.11.17.
  15. ↑ "Gwanghuimun and Jeongdong Cultural Exploration Course First Line, "Citizen Ilbo", 2014.04.08". 광희문ㆍ정동 문화탐방코스 첫선, 《시민일보》, 2014.04.08.
  16. 1 2 3 Hanyang Wall Research Institute (April 2019). "Seoul Hanyang Wall" 한양도성연구소 (2019년 4월). 《서울 한양도성》
  17. 1 2 Ha Mi-ok. "The status of the main gate and the main gate of Hanyang Wall in Seoul." Myongji University Graduate School of Record and Information Science, Seoul, 2016 하미옥. "서울 한양도성 정문(正門)과 간문(間門)의 위상." 국내석사학위논문 명지대학교 기록정보과학전문대학원, 2016. 서울
  18. ↑ Department of Legislation (1967). "Combined, Hyeongjo". " (State) Land War Ordinance. Page 94. 법제처 (1967). 〈병조, 형조〉. 《(국역)육전조례》. 94쪽.
  19. ↑ 兵典 啓Daejeon Hoetong Volume 4, 兵典 啓 Province Records 《대전회통》 4권, 兵典 啓省記
  20. ↑ The Korean Institute of Law (1995). " (State) Land War Ordinance. pp. 243. 한국법제연구원 (1995). 《(국역)육전조례》. 243쪽.
  21. ↑ "Registration of Bisaeng", 10th year of King Jeongjo, April 11, 1786, (Hmm) 《비변사등록》 정조 10년 1786년 4월11일(음)
  22. 1 2 "Development of storytelling of Seoul cultural heritage memorial stones - Donghwal Inseo Site". confirmed on may 30, 2022. “서울 문화재 기념표석들의 스토리텔링 개발 - 동활인서 터”. 2022년 5월 30일에 확인함.
  23. ↑ “九門의舊態와新容 (一)” by the Dong-A Ilbo. April 19, 1928 “九門의舊態와新容 (一)”. 동아일보. 1928년 4월 19일
  24. ↑ Lee, Hyun-jin (2017년 12월 31일). “The ‘Secondary South Gate (南小門),’ erected in the Han’yang Capital of Joseon, and the Changes it went through over time”. 《THE CHOSON DYNASTY HISTORY ASSOCIATION》 83: 7–53.
  25. ↑ [Metropolitan area / Storytelling in Seoul] Mint chow's 恨 - historical pain, "The Wailing Door" 2014-03-20 [수도권/스토리텔링 in 서울]민초의 恨-역사 아픔 서린 ‘통곡의 문’ 2014-03-20
  26. ↑ "誤殺 the 十餘 name only in the year of the 阿片窟 今 of the 殺 of the Korean 熙". The Dong-A Ilbo. October 12, 1928. “光熙門外殺人阿片窟 今年內에만十餘名을誤殺”. 동아일보. 1928년 10월 12일.
  27. ↑ "Acquired 7 September 1907 at the eulustrascion, France". “1907년 9월 7일자 프랑스 일뤼스트라시옹지 입수”
  28. ↑ "The Disbandment of the Korean Empire Military and the Scattered Bodies of Soldiers Outside Gwanghuimun", L'Illustration, August 1, 1907.
  29. ↑ Seo Jong-tae, "The Identification of the Reality and Martyr Spirituality of Gwanghuimunji", "The 1st Gwanghuimunji Academic Symposium", November 25, 2017 서종태, "광희문성지의 실체 규명과 순교자 영성", 《제1회 광희문성지 학술심포지엄》, 2017년 11월 25일
  30. ↑ " the holy place of Gwanghuimun is katakomba, South Korea". "Catholic Peace Broadcasting". “광희문 성지는 한국의 카타콤바”. 《가톨릭 평화방송》.
  31. 1 2 "Seosomun Martyrdom Holy Land [Pope Visiting]"Martyrdom 27th out of 124th in beatification". August 9, 2014 “[교황 방문지]서소문 순교 성지…시복 124위 중 27위 순교”. 2014년 8월 9일
  32. ↑ "List of holy sites/historical sites > Seoul Archdiocese > Gwanghuimun Shrine". "Good News Catholic Information". “성지/사적지 목록 > 서울대교구 > 광희문 성지”. 《GoodNews 가톨릭정보》.
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