• Journal of architectural history
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.7-18
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• 2015

Gwanghwamun was dismantled and displaced to the east side of the palace, at that time, the Chosun Government General Building was constructed in the Gyeongbokgung palace. After the Korea war, it remained as a stonework as a result of the fire. In 1968, The Gwanghwamun came back in front of the palace. Then, why it was rebuilt in the 3rd Republic period? What was the reason for selecting concrete? Since the May 16 coup, the military regime had been utilized palace and surrounding urban space to show a visible practice of modernization. Attempting the combination of modern technology in the 1960s and traditional cultural property and reconstructing a city as a pretext called Cultural Heritage conservation was a typical mechanism of the 1960s. In this study, I start by assume that reconstructing Gwanghwamun(1968) was a part of project to change the surrounding urban space of Gwanghwamun than to preserve cultural assets. Two main contributions of the study are following. First, I collect availabe data on the reconstructing surrounding urban space of the Gwanghwamun and re-organize them in chronological order to make them as fragments of a map. Second, I analysis and identify the nature and phase of the Gwanghwamun reconstruction.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.45-55
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• 2015

After the Korean war, two major attempts were made to reconstruct Gwanghwamun Gate as an important part of Korea's lost cultural heritage. In December 2006, the Korean government replaced the concrete gate with a wooden one, yet traces of the attempts made in the 1960s to transform Gwanghwamun Gate and the main road remain to this day. At the time, the Third Republic of Korea, sought to legitimize itself in the name of modernity, and went on to modernize the architecture and urban landscape of Seoul. The location and design selected for the rebuilt Gwanghwamun illustrated the symbolic relationship between historic heritage and urban development. The reconstruction of the gate began as part of the Third Republic's project to restore the Central Administration Building and culminated in the transformation of the main road in front of the gate. By reconstructing the traditional gate using concrete, the military government intended to convey the message that we could inherit our proud tradition using modern materials, and that we should actively adopt the new technologies of the modern era. This study begins with the premise that the Gwanghwamun reconstruction project of 1968 represents the application of new technological thinking to Korea's architectural style, and has two objectives. The first is to summarize the reconstruction process and method using the records and drawings from the 1968 project, which was then under the leadership of architect Kang Bong-jin. The second is to analyze the characteristics of the architectural style and structure of the reconstructed Gwanghwamun so as to reinterpret the relationship between Korean tradition and modern technology.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.187-194
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• 2023

This study identified how users of Gwanghwamun Square perceive the space and derived the spatial attributes of Gwanghwamun Square. There are four spatial attributes of Gwanghwamun Square: preservation of the historical environment, beauty of the surrounding landscape, suitability as a resting place, and activation of recreation. The first attribute, preservation of the historical environment, refers to the spaces that reflect the unique characteristics of Gwanghwamun Square and resonate with culture, including the Blue House, Bukaksan Mountain, Gyeongbok Palace, Yukjo Street, King Sejong, and Yi Sun-sin. The second attribute, beauty of the surrounding landscape, is related to the provision of abundant greenery and natural environment without disturbing the surrounding landscape, and includes landscape, sky, and greenery. The third attribute, suitability as a resting place, refers to various landscape facilities and services to enhance visitor comfort, including tables, chairs, shade, planters, rest areas, and fountains. Finally, recreational activation. This is the provision of various experiences, including exhibitions, performances, experiences, and sightseeing. Utilizing the attributes of Gwanghwamun Plaza derived from this study, it will provide important implications for the reconstruction of Gwanghwamun Plaza if future studies on valuation and estimation of Gwanghwamun Plaza are conducted to verify the differences in preferences by type.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.743-750
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• 2024

This study analyzes the linguistic meanings of the messages displayed on the Gwanghwamun Billboard from summer 1997 to spring 2020. The Gwanghwamun Billboard, an important medium reflecting cultural and social changes in contemporary Korean society, has conveyed hope and solace to the public through various literary quotes and emotional messages. This research identifies frequently appearing themes and messages by analyzing the frequency of keywords in the postings for each season. The results reveal that spring and summer primarily feature messages emphasizing new beginnings, challenges, love, and human relationships, as well as the beauty of nature, while autumn and winter convey themes of reflection, growth, endurance, and resilience. This study demonstrates that the Gwanghwamun Billboard encourages readers to adopt a positive outlook on life through seasonally tailored messages.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.112-131
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• 2021

The Gwanghwamun Gate of the Gyeongbokgung Palace was established in 1866 when Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt the Gyeongbokgung Palace. In Gwanghwamun, a large platform, woldae was established to reveal its hierarchy. The Gwanghwamun Woldae was equipped with stone railings on the left and right sides, fishing routes in the center, and stairs and slopes to the south. The Yongdu Stone was installed on the south side of the slope, which connected to the woldae, to express the path of the king in a formative manner. The Woldae King Road in Gwanghwamun was expanded in 1915 as the Joseon Promotion Conference was held at the Gyeongbokgung Palace and the woldae was destroyed around 1925. Since then, the figure has not been found since the time before the Gwanghwamun Gate. In the Donggureung royal tombs, there are many stones that are not placed in the royal tombs, including voussoir arch stones, Munsojeon Gugi-bi, as well as Nangan-Seokju, Dongja-seok, and Juk-seok, which are elements of the stone railings. These stone railings and Yongdu-seok are seen as stone objects of the Gwanghwamun Woldae, which can be found through the analysis of the style of the times and comparison with modern photographs.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.46-56
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• 2016

In order to analyze the surface temperature in accordance with the surface material, surface temperatures between Thermal InfraRed Image (TIRI) and Landsat 8 satellite observed at the commercial area (Gwanghwamun) and residential area (Jungnang) are compared. The surface temperature from TIRI had applied atmospheric correction and compared with that from Landsat 8. The surface temperatures from Landsat 8 at Gwanghwamun and Jungnang are underestimated in comparison with that from TIRI. The difference of surface temperature between the two methods is greater in summer than in winter. When the analysis area was divided into detailed regions, depending on the material and the position of the surface, correlation of surface temperature between TIRI with Landsat 8 is as low as 0.29 (Gwanghwamun) and 0.18 (Jungnang), respectively. The results were caused from the resolution difference between the two methods. While the surface temperatures of each zone from Landsat 8 were observed almost constant, high-resolution TIRI observed relatively precise surface temperatures. When the each area was averaged as one space, correlation of surface temperature between TIRIs and Landsat 8 is more than 0.95. The spatially averaged surface temperature is higher at Jungnang, representing residential areas, than at Gwanghwamun, representing commercial areas. As a result, the observation of high resolution is required in order to observe the precise surface temperature. This is because it appears that the spatial distribution of the various surface temperature in the range of micro-scale according to the conditions of the ground surface.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.713-727
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• 2021

This paper want to examine how Gwanghwamun and its surrounding areas work in the cinematic spaces for Korean films of the 1950s-2010s. First, in Korean films of the 1950s-1960s, Myeong-dong(Namchon), Bukchon, Seochon, and Dongchon are the primitive, perceptual, existential spaces that show the underground world and tragic pathos in the splendid city through intense desires and fatal frustration, the shadows and conflicts of modernization. Second, in Korean films of the 1970s-1990s, Myeongdong·Jongno(Namchon·Bukchon), Seochon and Dongchon are the perceptual, existential spaces that show public revenge and private alienation through the dichotomy of freedom/evil and the dichotomy of wealth/poverty. Third, in Korean films of the 2000-2010s, Gwanghwamun(Seochon), Bukchon, Namchon, and Dongchon are the perceptual, existential spaces that show civil society ethos and gloomy requiem through national agendas, resistance movements, desires and losses, miserable reality and death.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.647-659
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• 2023

This study is to analyze the lithological similarities between railing stones of Gwanghwamun Woldae and stone blocks stored in Donggureung Royal Tombs, Guri, to interpret the provenance of the stones, and to suggest the most suitable quarry for a new stones supply among the rocks in the Seoul-Pocheon area in order to select stones for the restoration of the Gwanghwamun Woldae. The railing stones in Donggureung are medium to coarse-grained pink biotite granite, and their lithological characteristics, magnetic susceptibility(Average 5.20 ×10^-3 SI unit), and gamma spectrometer data(K 5.00~6.38%, U 4.92~8.56 ppm, Th 27.60~36.44 ppm) show similarities with the remaining railing stones in Gwanghwamun Woldae(Average 5.38). Therefore, the railing stones in Donggureung can be reused for the restoration of Gwanghwamun Woldae. They have similar lithological and geochemical charateristics to the pink biotite granite found the Suraksan Mt. and Buramsan Mr. areas in Seoul, suggesting that these areas are the source of the stone. However, since the Suraksan Mt. and Buramsan Mt. areas are currently unavailable for quarrying, lithological and geochemical analyses on granite from the Yangju and Pocheon areas are conducted to determine the suitability of the new stone for restoration. As a result, a pink biotite granite similar to the Woldae stones was identified in the Pocheon area, and it is suggested that the stones similar in grain size and colour to the railing stones of Gwanghwamun Woldae should be selected and used for the restoration of Gwanghwamun Woldae.

• Architectural research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.29-40
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the conflicts caused by the spatial expansion in two types of urban heritage in Seoul. To explain the national and professional orientation found in each spatial transformation, the study brought the concept of 'historic state' and 'epitome,' thereby examining the operating system of the conflicts. Field observations and stakeholder interviews were performed based on literature and historical research. The study results are as follows. ①In the case of Gwanghwamun and Donuimun, the spatial expansion is to find the historic state of the sites. Gwanghwamun with high national status and substance, conflicts show a pattern that spreads to memory conflicts. Donuimun is relatively unknown and has no substance so that a flexible method of digital restoration was applied. ② In the case of Ikseon-dong and Bukchon hanok, they show heterogeneous spatial expansion. The conflicts in relation to this is caused by the epitome of hanok. In Ikseon-dong, illegal installation of structures(non-epitome) is prevalent, while in Bukchon, there was a process of transferring the new basement(non-epitome) as part of the hanok. ③Conflicts in Gwanghwamun can be coordinated by referring to the digital restoration of Donuimun, and conflicts in Ikseon-dong can be resolved by taking Bukchon as a precedent.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.491-504
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• 2021

Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace was dismantled and relocated during the Japanese colonial period, destroyed during the Korean War, reconstructed with reinforced concrete in 1968, and finally erected at its present location in 2010. A pair of Haechi statues located in front of Gwanghwamun was dismantled and relocated several times, and the statues have yet to be returned precisely to their original positions. This study assesses the historical accuracy of their current placement under the Gwanghwamun Square Restructuring Project of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Cultural Heritage Administration based on archival photos from the early 1900s, and proposes a method to estimate the original positions of the Haechi through image analysis of contemporary photographs and recent digital camera photos. We estimated the original position of the Haechi before the Japanese colonial period by identifying the shooting location of the archival photo and reproducing contemporary photographs by calculating the angle and distance to the Haechi from the shooting location. The leftmost and rightmost Haechi were originally located about 9.6 m to the east and 7.4 m to the north and about 1.9 m to the west and 8.0 m to the north, respectively, of their current location indicators. As the first attempt to determine the original location of a building and its accessories using archival photos, this study launches a new scientific methodology for the restoration of cultural properties.