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 Home >> Theme Tour >> Ancient city with historic ruins
Seodaemun Prison, a Historic Museum Preserving the History of Suffering in Korea

Seodaemun Prison located in Seodaemun-gu Hyeonjeo-dong, Seoul is becoming popular as a place for real education of patriotism. Seodaemun Prison first started as Gyeongseong Prinson in 1908.
Korea's patriots who fought for independence against Japan during colonization days (1910 - 1945) were imprisoned, tortured and killed in Seodaemun Prison. Because of this, the place has kept the anguish and sorrow of the history alive. The exhibition rooms are divided into three parts of history, experience and cherishing the memories of the patriots. You can experience the vivid history of Korea which suffered during the occupation by Japanese.   

The cherishing of the memories of the patriots on the first floor consists of a visual exhibition room, a special exhibition room, and a reference library. In the visual exhibition room a huge screen shows a movie about the establishment of Seodaemun Prison and it's changes through history. The special exhibition room is used to praise the souls of the patriots martyred while fighting against Japan's invasion and oppression and to exhibit items related to Seodaemun Prison. The library has books related to Korean History, and you can find information and books related to the independence movement of Korea.   

The part of history on the second floor provides rooms about ethnic resistance, Seodaemun Prison's history and prison life. The room of ethnic resistance shows the history about Korea's resistance against Japan by periodic incidents. The incident of Patriot, Gang Ugyu throwing a bomb against Saito Makoto, the Japanese governor in 1919 is displayed as a 3 dimensional image.   

The room of history shows the changing procedures of Seodaemun Prison and status of prisons all over the country. It also displays a miniature of Seodaemun Prison of 1934. The room of prison life tells the truth of horrible prison life under Japanese colonization and opens a solitary confinement cell for visitors to have chance to get in.

The part of experience in the basement has a display of the cruel tortures done by Japanese. There is a real torture room and basement prison cell in which real tortures happened in the past. The basement prison was built in 1916 to imprison only female participants in the independence movement and has four solitary cells used for torture. This place is also known as a Yu Gwan Sun's cave. Yu Gwan Sun (1902 - 1920) was the most well known female patriot. She was imprisoned in this basement prison, tortured and martyred at the age of 18.   

Tel 02-363-9750~1
Opening hours 09:30 ~ 17:00
Closing date New years day, Chinese new years day, Korean thanksgiving, and every Monday (if Monday is holiday, closed on every Tuesday)
How to get there Get off at Dongnipmun Station of subway line 3 and go out through the exit towards Seodaemun Independence Park.
20-08-2001
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