Korea has regained ownership of a historical building formerly used as the Korean legation in the United State more than a century after it was forcibly taken over by Japan and sold to an American, the Seoul government said Tuesday.
The Cultural Heritage Administration said it has signed a contract to purchase the building in Washington, D.C., as it is the only former overseas establishment of the Korean Empire which still has its original shape.
The Korean Empire was the name of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) during its final 13 years before it became a colony of Japan.
Built in 1877, the Victorian-style building was used as the Korean legation in the U.S. from 1891 till 1910.
King Gojong, the 26th king of Joseon and the first emperor of the Korean Empire, bought the building, currently located in the Logan Circle Historic District, some 10 minutes' drive from the White House, for US$25,000, a huge sum of money in 1891.
But Japan took over the ownership of the building for just $5 as soon as Korea went under its colonial rule in 1910 and sold it to an American for $10.
The government agency said it will pay $3.5 million to the current owner of the building under the contract.
The building has a great historical value as a symbol of the Joseon Dynasty's pursuit of an independent diplomacy to escape from rising pressure from China, Russia and Japan to open up after the Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed with the U.S. in 1882, according to the agency. (Yonhap)