Long lost pictures offer glimpse into the past of Seoul's historic Sungnyemun Gate

Korean Heritage

Published: 16 Feb. 2024, 16:52

Long lost pictures offer glimpse into the past of Seoul's historic Sungnyemun Gate

Photo taken of Seoul before 1911 by American travel journalist Carpenter [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

Sungnyemun Gate, Korea’s first national treasure and once a towering presence watching over Seoul’s then-southern border, still stands strong as a remnant of the past in a sea of high-rise buildings.

But recent photo discoveries offer a glimpse into the capital’s bygone era and how the mighty gate would have looked some 140 years ago.

Prior to the Japanese army tearing down communities around Sungnyemun Gate to expand roads during its occupation of Korea, houses were concentrated in the gate’s surrounding area. Hanok, or traditional Korean houses, lined Donhwamun-ro, an uphill path connecting Jongro 3-ga to the royal Changdeok Palace. Also near the gate was Pima-gil, a road used by the common folk so as to not step on the noblemen’s toes.

The Seoul Museum of History on Feb. 12 published 163 photos that show Seoul’s olden days, rediscovered during the museum’s research at the U.S. Library of Congress’s vault of photography and prints. The research was conducted through the U.S.-based Seoul Studies data survey, which started in 2020.

The photos are in the museum's 19th academic publication, titled “Seoul in Photos: Library of Congress Collection.” There are no plans currently to hold an exhibition for the photos, but the museum's publication is available for view at the museum’s physical archive and is also available for purchase at the museum’s gift shop and select bookstores.

The photos show Seoul through the eyes of American diplomats, travel journalists, the Japanese Colonial Government of Korea and U.S. researchers, spanning from the late-Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) up to the 1960s.

Photos of interest include those in the Japanese Colonial Government’s documents that were confiscated by U.S. troops right after Korea’s liberation, taken by photographer Murakami Tenko, who ran a studio in Seoul. These photos, which are not even registered in the Library of Congress’s database, were revealed for the first time through the discovery. The history museum deemed the photos highly valuable for academic research as they can aid in determining the diverse context through which the colonial government carried out surveys for colonial rule.

Seoul through the lens of U.S. diplomat George C. Foulk

U.S. diplomat and naval officer George C. Foulks’s photos taken during his time stationed in Korea, from 1884 to 1885 in the late Joseon Dynasty, are also shown in the publication. Foulk also worked as an adviser for King Gojeong’s modernization project. The photos he took of Sungnyemun Gate are the earliest existing records of the gate.

Houses outside Sungnyemun Gate [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

Seoul as seen from Mount Namsan [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

Seoul through the lens of Murakami Tenko and the Japanese colonial government

These photos are part of the Library of Congress’s collection of the colonial government’s documents, which were confiscated by the United States right after Korea’s liberation. These photos were revealed for the first time in the museum's publication. The colonial government recorded a large amount of footage of the livelihood and economic state all over Korea, including in the capital.

Neighborhood surrounding Donhwamun-ro, an uphill path connecting Jongno 3-ga to Changdeok Palace. Pima-gil, a road used by the common folk, is seen on the right of Donhwamun-ro. [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

Neighborhood around Mount Namsan, as seen from Jongno 3-ga [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

Slums outside of Gwanghwamun [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

Seoul in the early 1900s, as seen through a U.S. daily newspaper

The New York World Journal Tribune, a daily newspaper published in New York, stored around 1 million photos taken between 1920 until the publication’s closure in 1967. The photos, none of which had been revealed until now, were donated to the Library of Congress.

Demonstrators march in protest against the decision made at the Moscow Conference in 1945 to place Korea under a five-year trusteeship. The crowd makes its way to the Japanese Colonial Government's quarters located near Jogyesa Temple. [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

A bird's-eye view of Anguk-dong in Jongno District, central Seoul. Seen in the upper right corner of the photo is Poongmoon Girls' High School, which now houses the Seoul Museum of Craft Art. [SEOUL MUSEUM OF HISTORY]

BY HAN EUN-HWA, KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]