Seoul mulls restoration of Donuimun, tunnel underneath

This black-and-white photo is a photo of Donuimun, one of the Four Great Gates of Seoul, before it was demolished in 1915 during the 1910-1945 Japanese occupation of South Korea. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is looking into restoring Donuimun, one of the Four Great Gates of Seoul, the city government said Monday.

Donuimun, also known as the West Gate or Seodaemun, is one of a series of historic gates around Seoul. It served as the opening to the Fortress Wall of Seoul that surrounded the city during the Joseon era.

However, Donuimun was destroyed in 1915 during the 1910-1945 Japanese occupation of South Korea to make way for trams and has not been rebuilt since. It is also the only one of the Four Gates of Seoul that has not been restored.

Currently, the area around Saemunan-ro at the Jeongdong Intersection, between Donuimun Museum Village and Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Jongno-gu, is the site where Donuimun used to be located.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday, the city is considering a two-phase restoration project. For the first phase, the Donuimun Museum Village near the Jeongdong Intersection will be demolished and turned into a park by 2026.

For the second phase, a part of Saemunan-ro will be placed underground by 2035 and Donuimun will be restored on top of it. As the Jeongdong Intersection is higher than the surrounding area, the city government is looking into building a 400-meter underpass from the Seoul Museum of History to Kangbuk Samsung Hospital to restore Donuimun and create a small park above the tunnel.

“By restoring Donuimun on top of hilly terrain, there will be no need to dig deep into the ground. There is no interference expected with subway Line No. 5 that runs underground,” a Seoul Metropolitan Government official in the city transportation department told The Korea Herald. The project to restore Donuimun was also considered in 2009 during Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s first term as mayor but was canceled due to criticism about possible traffic congestion.

Although the restoration plan is under consideration, the Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that it has not yet been finalized as talks must be completed with the Cultural Heritage Administration. Once confirmed, the city government expects to use up to 400 billion won ($304 million) for both projects.

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)