By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Participants of the G-20 Summit are expected to be able to see the restored Gwanghwamun Gate, the main entrance to Gyeongbok Palace, in November, as the government is looking to complete the restoration by September.
"We will make sure that the Gwanghwamun Gate is restored to its original state by September, becoming the true symbol of our capital Seoul," said Yi Kun-moo, administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), Monday.
The gate was originally scheduled to be completed in December.
The gate will be built on 240 square meters of land, using pine trees and granite as the main materials. The 100-meter-long "eodo," or the path only for the King, will be restored, while the palace wall will also be rebuilt.
Yi said that it would also incorporate a large stone platform and two guardian statues originally positioned in front of the gate.
The gate's location has been moved 14.5 meters to the south and rotated 5.6 degrees clockwise from its original position.
"The wooden gate tower will be constructed this month and the roof in May. The 'Dancheong' (a Korean traditional way of painting) of the building will start in June. The plans will be moved up by three months to get the work done on time," Lee added.
Gwanghwamun was first built in 1395, the fourth year of the reign of King Taejo of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), but was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in the late 16th century. In 1865 during the reign of King Gojong, it was restored, but Japanese Imperialists moved the gate to the northern part of the palace during the early 20th century.
It was destroyed again during the Korean War (1950-53) but was rebuilt in 1968. However, it was reconstructed with concrete instead of wood, and many objected to its location, which was claimed to have been moved to face a Shinto shrine by the Japanese.
sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr
