Seodaemun Prison was built under the Japanese administration to imprison independence movement activists. It first opened on October 21, 1908 under the name Gyeongseong Prison. Eventually, so many activists were imprisoned that the building had to be expanded. At that time, the name changed to Seodaemun Prison on September 3, 1912. Eighty years later, the prison was turned into Seodaemun Independence Park on August 15, 1992 to commemorate the Korean patriots who were tortured in prison, giving their lives for freedom. Of the many buildings, only seven were preserved for their historical significance, among which three prison buildings and the execution site were designated as a Historic Site. In 1998, the park underwent another transformation into today's Seodaemun Prison History Hall to educate the public on the importance of Korea's independence and the sacrifices of those who fought to achieve it.
information
- Foreign Language Intepretation Services Docent Tour Available Br - Reservation Required One Week Before Visiting Available In English Japanese Groups 30 People Or Fewer Inquiries 82-360-8586
- Inquiries and information 1330 Travel Hotline 82-2-1330 Br Korean English Japanese Chinese For More Info 82-2-360-8590
- Parking availability Available Inquiries 82-2-312-2958
- Closed days Mondays Closed The Following Business Day If Monday Is A Public Holiday January 1 Of Seollal Lunar New Year S Day Chuseok Korean Thanksgiving
- Usage fee Individuals - Adults 3 000 Won Teenagers 1 500 Children Br Groups 2 400 200 800 Ages 19-64 13-18 7-12 Free Admission Preschoolers 6 Under Senior Citizens 65 Over
- Usage time March-october 09 30-18 00 Br November-february 30-17 Last Admission 30 Min Before Closing
- Scale Land Area 29 216 Br Building 3 347
- Time spent at the attraction Approx. 1 Hr - 30 Min
location
251, Tongil-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul