The Door to Dondeokjeon Hall opens again after 100 years

 - The guest house of the Korean Empire from 100 years ago is revived as a window for cultural diplomacy of the Republic of Korea -

The Cultural Heritage Administration's Palace Relics Headquarters Deoksugung Palace Management Office (Director Kweon Jeom-su) will hold an opening ceremony for Dondeokjeon Hall in the special exhibition room on the first floor of Deoksugung Palace's Dondeokjeon Hall(Jung-gu, Seoul) at 3 p.m. on September 25, and the official opening will begin at 9 a.m. on September 26. do. This ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Han Deok-soo (encouraging speech), Head of Cultural Heritage Administration Choi Eung-cheon (commemorative speech) And about 90 people from home and abroad including diplomats (25 ambassadors) from 34 countries*, including U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip S. Goldberg (congratulatory speech) and representatives from Jeonju Lee Royal Family Association, religious leaders including Jinkwansa Temple of the Jogye Order of Buddhism, and representatives from the culture and arts community, will attend.
* 34 countries (in Korean alphabetical order): Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Russia, Lebanon, Malta, United States, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei, Serbia, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Angola , Honduras, Ukraine, Italy, Georgia, Canada, Kenya, Colombia, Kuwait, Croatia, Panama, France, Philippines, Hungary

Due to the lack of data, highly accurate historical research on Dondeokjeon's interior was not possible, so it was decorated as a space for exhibitions, archives, and cultural contents, taking into account its historicity as a central space for diplomacy of the Korean Empire 100 years ago. It consists of Permanent Exhibition Room I (Korean Empire Film Room) and Special Exhibition Room on the first floor, and Permanent Exhibition Room II (Diplomacy of the Korean Empire) and Archive Room (Korean Empire Data Room) on the second floor.
The hallway floor was decorated with reproductions of tiles unearthed during excavations, and lights reminiscent of 100 years ago were installed on the ceiling and walls. Additionally, the scenery of the Korean Empire (1st floor) and the main figures of the time (2nd floor) are displayed in digital frames. In the frame, a fun and smooth atmosphere is created by adding elements that viewers can find interesting if they look closely.

The archive room is equipped with furniture and lighting with the motif of Western salons of the early 20th century, and is equipped with books, digital archives, video programs, etc. so that visitors can browse at their leisure. The bookshelf in the archive room was made mobile so that academic conferences, small-scale performances, novel readings, forums, etc. could be held here. In addition, there are plans to ensure that the results of the various communications that take place here will become materials for special exhibitions and museum education, which in turn will lead to materials for the reorganization of the permanent exhibition hall.

The theme of Dondeokjeon’s exhibition is ‘to look back on the history of Korea’s modern diplomacy that sought to protect its independence, and to propose a new era of exchange that sympathizes with the universal human values of mutual respect and friendship.’ This is a reinterpretation of the original purpose of Dondeokjeon, built by the Korean Empire to meet the world, to suit today, and can be seen in detail in “Permanent Exhibition Room Ⅱ (Diplomacy of the Korean Empire)” on the second floor.

This place aims to go beyond an exhibition that simply lists historical materials and facts. This is a production that introduces diplomats and major figures of the time to look at the people who lived in that era, and shows videos of the 'Declaration of the Korean Empire' and the 'Russian-Japanese War' from the perspective of the general public. In order to capture these contents, this exhibition was organized into the following five sections: ▲ Prologue, ▲ Beginning of modern diplomacy. To the world of universal public law, ▲ Turbulent times, and diplomats, ▲ From empire to republic, ▲ Epilogue

Among the eye-catching exhibits are owned by the Gansong Art and Culture Foundation and (treasure) owned by Jingwansa Temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The first of these is a drawing of two trains running with smoke in the United States in 1883 by Kang Jin-hee (1851-1919), a calligraphy artist and first member of the diplomatic mission to the United States. It concisely shows the Korean government's will to accept advanced Western technologies and systems, and the efforts of Korean diplomats in the United States to make this a reality.

was discovered on May 26, 2009, with 19 independent newspapers wrapped like a wrapping cloth between the Buddhist altar and the wall during the dismantling and restoration of the Chilsunggak of Jingwansa Temple in Seoul. Taegeukgi is a Taegeukgi with Taegeuk and the four trigrams painted in ink on top of the Japanese flag. It symbolizes the independence movement of people who realized that they were sovereign, and is also a relic that shows that Buddhist temples played an important role as a base or base for the independence movement.

In the epilogue area, there is a video of Deoksugung Palace's foreign public relations ambassadors congratulating the opening of Dondeokjeon and an electronic guest book where visitors can leave reviews using keywords on the wall. In this space, under the title “100 years of dream starting again,” “100 years of memory, 100 years of friendship, humanity becoming one, public diplomacy platform Dondeokjeon, common values of human culture, the core of which are respect, love, and friendship.” , cooperation, and creation” concludes the exhibition.

The Deoksugung Palace Management Office of the Palace Relics Headquarters of the Cultural Heritage Administration hopes that Dondeokjeon will be actively used as a space (platform) for cultural exchange and public diplomacy. It will be open to the public from September 26, the day after the memorial ceremony, and viewing hours will be 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.


Attachment
1. Overview and Meaning of the Reconstruction of Dondeokjeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace
2. Exhibition Overview of Dondeokjeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace