Independence Gate (Dongnimmun)

About this place

Independence Gate, located in Seodaemun Independence Park, is a monument built in the place of Yeongeunmun Gate — where Chinese envoys were once received — to affirm the will for national self-determination following the Gabo Reform. The Gabo Reform was a reform movement that pursued domestic and institutional reforms. However, it failed due to foreign interference, and national independence was not achieved either. In response, the people resolved to permit no interference in the nation's independence and liberty, and erected Independence Gate at the very site where Yeongeunmun — used to receive Chinese envoys — once stood. The gate is built of granite, with a rainbow-shaped arched gateway (hongyemun) in the center. Inside on the left is a stone staircase leading to the top. The top is enclosed by a stone railing, and at the center of the keystone of the arched gateway are carved the plum blossom motifs of the Joseon royal family. Above the arch, front and back, the words 'Independence Gate' (독립문) are inscribed in both Korean and Chinese, with the Korean national flag (Taegeukgi) carved on both sides. Nearby is Seodaemun Prison, where visitors can reflect on the longing for democracy and the will for independence in a historical journey that encompasses both Independence Gate and the prison.