Seodaemun Prison History Hall

The Seodaemun Prison History Hall is a museum and memorial that honors those who suffered and gave up their lives for Korea during the Japanese occupation. The institution was used by the Japanese to imprison independence activists. After liberation, it also held pro-democracy activists under Korea’s authoritarian governments. It also represents the suffering of the Korean people as they struggled to achieve independence and democracy.

Many people gave up their lives here for their country. This prison hall is a memorial and a stark reminder of those sacrifices.

Construction on the prison started in 1907 during the last years of the Great Korean Empire or Daehan Empire. When completed on October 21, 1908, it was known as Gyeongseong Gamok (Gyeongseong Prison). The name was changed to Seodaemun Gamok on September 3, 1912. The name was changed again on May 5, 1923 to Seodaemun Prison (Hyeongmuso).

On August 29, 1910, the Great Korean Empire was colonized by the Japanese.

For many decades, activists fought against the injustice of the Japanese occupation. Though brave, their numbers were too few to threaten Japan’s imperialistic and brutal rule. The Japanese attempted a cultural genocide on the Korean people including making them learn and only speak Japanese, making them pray to the gods of Japan, and making them adopt Japanese names.

When opened, the prison covered 1,600 square meters (17,222 square feet) and was designed to house some 500 prisoners and Korean independence fighters. At the height of the anti-Japanese movement around March 1919, the prison packed in up to 3,000 people. By the 1930s, the prison was expanded approximately 30 times due to the increase of incarcerated Korean independence activists.

In total, about 40,000 freedom fighters passed through the front gate of the prison. Of those, about 400 were executed or died from other reasons while incarcerated here. The Japanese continued executing and torturing inmates until liberation in 1945.

One of the most well known prisoners who died here was Ryu Gwansun, also known as Yu Gwan-sun. In 1919, Ryu was a student at Ewha Girls’ High School in Seoul.

Ryu took part in the March 1st Movement in Seoul and helped organize a demonstration at Aunae Market in Cheonan on April 1, 1919. About 3,000 people gathered to call for independence. She was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, reduced to three years on appeal.

While in prison, Ryu continued to protest the occupation of Korea and call for independence. She was tortured after leading another protest on March 1, 1920, the first anniversary of the movement.

She died here on September 28, 1920, after suffering injuries from torture and being denied treatment.

Korea was liberated on August 15, 1945, also known as Victory over Japan Day.

The prison has changed names multiple times since liberation including Seoul Hyeongmuso (November 21, 1945), Seoul Gyodoso (December 23, 1961), and Seoul Guchiso (July 7, 1967).

Seodaemun Prison operated as a prison for eight decades from 1908 to 1987.

On August 15, 1992, the prison site was unveiled to the public as the Seodaemun Independence Park.

Work to create the museum began in 1995, and the Seodaemun Prison History Hall opened on November 5, 1998.

Several original prison buildings remain. Prison Buildings No. 10, No. 11, and No. 12, together with the execution building, were designated a Historic Site in 1988.

Today, the memorial pays tribute to those who gave up their lives and serves as a reminder for future generations of the brutal history which occurred here for independence.

What to see at Seodaemun Prison History Hall

Execution Building

The wooden building behind this wall was the execution building of patriots and activists at Seodaemun Prison. Many activists and patriots of Korea who struggled and suffered for the independence of Korea from Japan were sent here. They gave up their lives in the building for the love of their country.

The structure is believed to have been built around 1916.

After executions, bodies could be taken out through a secret tunnel known as the corpse removal exit.

Corpse Removal Exit

The corpse removal exit is a secret tunnel used by the Japanese to discreetly dispose of activists after being executed at the nearby execution building. It was here where the dead bodies of independence activists were disposed. Japanese imperialists used this tunnel to conceal their activities.

The tunnel was discovered in 1992. Approximately 40 meters (131 feet) of the secret exit and tunnel were restored.

Reverence Monument

The Reverence Monument by Lim Seung-O, known as Pot with the Soul of Nation, is dedicated to those who gave up their lives for the independence of Korea.

The monument has the names of those independence activists who sacrificed their lives for their country while imprisoned at Seodaemun Prison History Hall.