The road in front of Gwanghwamun Gate was the way leading into Gyeongbokgung Palace and
the largest road in the country. Even when Gwanghwamun Gate was burned down during the Japanese Invasion of Korea of 1592, the road in front of Gwanghwamun Gate, Yukjo Geori (Street of Six Ministries) still functioned as the civic center with various offices of the government outside the palace. King Gojong restored Gwanghwamun Gate when rebuilding Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the road in front of it became the central hub of the nation.
However, the scenery of the road in front of Gwanghwamun Gate changed drastically
after Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910. Gwanghwamun Gate was relocated to the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace when Imperial Japan constructed the Japanese Government-General of Korea building inside the palace.
National Liberation. The cries of joy did not last long. The Gwanghwamun area was caught in the turbulence of the times such as the United States Military Government, founding of the Korean government, war and restoration, dictatorship and civil revolution. Gwanghwamun Gate was once again completely incinerated during the Korean War.
Gwanghwamun Gate was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt as if flowers bloom and wither,
but the road in front of it has always been crowded with people. From the People’s Assembly to the March 1 Independence Movement, civil revolutions, and the candlelight culture festival, the history of the square continued,
and our square finally became the symbol of democracy and a space of harmony.