Joseon-era ritual stage in front of Gwanghwamun to be restored by October

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Tue, October 3, 2023 | 06:14

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Joseon-era ritual stage in front of Gwanghwamun to be restored by October

Posted : 2023-04-25 16:42

Updated : 2023-04-25 16:49

An archaeological survey is carried out at the "woldae" site in front of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Kwak Yeon-soo

The Joseon-era ritual stage in front of Gwanghwamun, which was damaged during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period, will be restored by this October, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said on Tuesday.

"Woldae" was the name for a terrace where kings carried out public rituals or ceremonies during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom. The one in front of Gwanghwamun was damaged as a result of road construction and laying tracks for streetcars during Japan's 35-year occupation.

According to "The Daily Record of the Construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace," an account of the reconstruction process from early April 1865 until its completion in July 1868, Woldae was established in 1866 during the reign of King Gojong. Whether it existed in the early Joseon period before the Imjin War (1592-98) is still unknown, according to CHA officials.

The distance from north to south of the original Woldae was 48.7 meters and the width of the large platform of rectangular stones was 29.7 meters from west to east.

It was equipped with stone rails on the left and right sides, a path exclusively for the king in the center, and stairs and slopes to the south. The king's path was seven meters wide, surrounded by a stone rail to give it more dignity, and connected to Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace.

"The excavation of the eastern ruins of Woldae remained relatively original, which made it possible to reconstruct the entire appearance of Woldae at the time of King Gojong's reconstruction of Gyeongbok Palace," a CHA official said during a press event held at National Palace Museum of Korea, Tuesday.

Above photo shows the "woldae" in front of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace, in Seoul, in 1923. The woldae excavation work has been underway for restoration since September 2022. Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration

Woldae was an architectural structure made of stair stones and handrails, and filled with soil. It was the only case in Korea in which a banister was placed around the main gate of a palace and a podium was built.

It is believed to be destroyed in 1923 when the Japanese covered the space with tram tracks, according to the CHA.

"The stone base remained in considerably good state because it was covered with road, not torn down completely," archeology professor Shin Hee-kwon explained during a press tour of the excavation site for Woldae restoration in Seoul, Tuesday.

Officials said the government will restore the area by October to preserve the historical identity of the space. Meanwhile, Gwanghwamun of the Gyeongbok Palace was established in 1866 when Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt the Gyeongbok Palace.

yeons.kwak@koreatimes.co.kr