Formerly the central point of all of Seoul, Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District may look inconspicuous enough. But, it holds a rich history. Now a large pedestrian-only square, it’s home to incredible statues of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, as well as a bronze statue of King Sejong. With the backdrop of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bugaksan Mountain, this square is the perfect place to unwind, relax, and get some really incredible pictures.
Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul
We’ve been to Gwanghwamun Square a few times since our move to Korea. It’s centrally located, PLUS there’s a parking garage nearby that accepts cash (which I’ll share a pin for at the bottom of this post). It’s a great place to visit if you’re wanting to get just a little taste of Seoul, without having to deal TOO much with the hustle and bustle.
The square itself is hard to miss with its towering statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, Korea’s most beloved war hero. We learned all about him and his “turtle ships” when we visited Hyeonchungsa Shrine in Asan – which was constructed in his honor. When we visited the shrine, we’d never heard of him. In the 1590’s he was credited for winning 23 battles against the Japanese Imperialists. In addition, it is said that he defeated 333 Japanese ships with only 13 of his own. His invention of the “turtle ships” added greatly to his success. It’s hard to study any of Korea’s history without looking at all that Admiral Yi contributed.
A short walk from the Admiral’s statue sits the seated bronze Sejong the Great – who was one of the rulers during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. He ruled as the sole monarch in Korea for 28 years in the early 1400’s – after taking over when his father abdicated the thrown – and he’s generally considered to be one of the greatest rulers of the Korean Peninsula. He’s known for many things, but he is most well-known for creating and promoting the current Korean alphabet (known as Hangeul). He was also instrumental in moving Korea to a currency-based economy, rather than the bartering system they had practiced up to that point.
We could write a whole novel on the life of Sejong the Great – and I’m sure people have – but for now, it’s fun to just know a few of the things that he did that still continue to impact Korea today, some 600 years later!
Gwanghwamun Square is a must-see if you’re in Seoul. A lot of work has gone into it over the past 20 years to make it an icon of the city. They’ve worked hard to honor these men who did so much for their country and it’s an interesting piece of Korean history that is absolutely worth your time.
’til next time…
Ash
Tips for visiting Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul
Directions: Gwanghwamun Square is easily accessible by subway. Paste 서울 종로구 세종대로 172 into Naver and follow the instructions for public transportation. OR if you’d rather drive into Seoul, the parking garage can be found by pasting 서울 종로구 종로 1 into Naver and then walking for a few minutes to the square. The parking garage cost us about ₩4,000 per hour – which, while not the cheapest we’ve experienced, is not too bad if you’re not planning to stay for too long.
Cost: Visiting Gwanghwamun Square is FREE.
Food: There are plenty of restaurants nearby Gwanghwamun Square. Our personal favorite? The KFC (which can be found by pasting 서울 종로구 세종대로23길 7 into Naver) – which I realize probably makes us the most uncultured of travelers. Even so, nobody does KFC like Korea does. They took KFC and made it about 100 times better. If you haven’t had KFC in Korea, have you ever really had KFC?
