Discovering the treasure trove of Korea’s early modern history in Jeong-dong

Leader: Matt VanVolkenburg

DATE: Saturday. May 20, 2023. 1:00PM to 5:00PM
DESTINATION: Jeong-dong
COST: 30,000W for members and 40,000W for non-members

MEETING POINT: Daehanmun, the front gate of Deoksugung Palace, (subway line number 1, dark blue line, or 2, green line, City Hall Station #132, exit 2) at 1:00 pm

REGISTRATION:

RSVP by May 18 (Thursday) by clicking HERE with payment of the fee via bank transfer. Please register one RSVP at a time.

☞Payment to be remitted to the following account:
SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)

*Reservation is not confirmed until payment has been received by RAS Korea in advance of the event.

DESCRIPTION:

When the Joseon Kingdom opened to Japan and the West in the late nineteenth century, one neighborhood of Seoul began to grow in importance as foreign diplomats and missionaries settled there: Jeong-dong. As it became a center of foreign diplomatic power and missionary-run churches and modern schools, it was in turn chosen as the location of the new main palace, Deoksugung, in the hope that the Western powers would protect Emperor Gojong from the Japanese. These hopes turned out to be in vain, however, and Korea fell under Japanese control in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. Despite the decades of colonialism, war, and urban development that followed, architectural remnants of this era of Korea’s tumultuous modern history can still be found in Jeong-dong, and a walk through the neighborhood will provide a window into this history.

For this excursion we will meet in front the gate of Deoksugung Palace. From there we will visit the former National Assembly and the Anglican cathedral, take a glimpse at the British Embassy, and then visit the Salvation Army building and the remains of the former Russian Legation. From there we will visit Ewha Girl’s High School, the first school for girls in Korea, and also the site of one of Korea’s earliest foreign-run hotels, the Sontag Hotel. Then we will take in the restored Jungmyeongjeon Hall, which was built as a royal library but is best known for being the place where the Eulsa Treaty, which the Japanese used to deprive Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty, and then visit the Baejae Hakdang, a missionary-run boys’ school that educated many of Korea’s future elite, now restored as a museum. From there we will visit the Jeong-dong First Methodist Church and the Seoul Museum of Art, which is housed in the colonial era-built former Korean Supreme Court building. Along the way we will learn about the missionary influence upon the neighborhood and observe various dilapidated or vanished buildings and paths that are currently being restored and discuss the preservation of the past in Jeong-dong.

The cost of the tour is W30,000 for members and W40,000 for non-members. The excursion will set off from Daehanmun, the front gate of Deoksugung Palace, (subway line number 1, dark blue line, or 2, green line, City Hall Station #132, exit 2) at 1:00 pm.

** As our excursion leaders are often too focused on leading to take photos of their own tours, we hope that you will consider sharing with us a few photos from the excursion, or write a sentence or two about your experience that we could use in future promotional efforts on behalf of the society.  Any quotes, photos, videos, or other material would be used with attribution.