Gyeonggyojang, a city-run historic house between Gwanghwamun and Seodaemun, is open 09:00-18:00 Tuesday-Sunday and closed Mondays and January 1.
Take Subway Line 5 to Seodaemun Station Exit 4 and walk 325 m.
If you are reading independence-history material on your Seoul trip, this is Kim Ku’s residence and the site where he was assassinated in 1949.
What Gyeonggyojang Is and Who It Suits
| Address | 29, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (03181) |
|---|---|
| Hours | 09:00-18:00 KST, daily |
| Closed | Mondays and January 1 |
| Nearest subway | Line 5 Seodaemun Station Exit 4, 325 m walk |
| Phone | +82-2-735-2038 |
| Official site | Seoul Museum of History annex page (museum.seoul.go.kr) |
Gyeonggyojang is a historic house and history museum run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, listed as an annex of the Seoul Museum of History.
Its official page sits on the museum.seoul.go.kr domain, which is what confirms it is city-run rather than a private museum.
The building is tied to Kim Ku, President of the Provisional Government of Korea, and carries both city and national heritage designations.
If you are building your Seoul trip around Korean independence history, this site belongs on the list.
If you expect an original 1938 interior throughout, go with adjusted expectations — the current building is described as a reconstruction of part of the original house, so verify the details on the museum page before you set them in stone.
When I size up a stop like this, the first thing I check is how it connects from outside the neighborhood — station, exit number, walking distance — because that decides whether it fits a half-day plan.
How to Get to Gyeonggyojang by Subway
Subway Line 5 Seodaemun Station Exit 4 is the nearest stop — a 325 m walk, roughly 4-5 minutes at a normal pace.
You can run the trip through the koreankorea.com Seoul subway route planner before you leave your hotel.
The house sits on Saemunan-ro between Gwanghwamun and Seodaemun, across from the former East Theater site, so it slots into either end of that corridor.
Steps:
- Take Subway Line 5 to Seodaemun Station.
- Leave through Exit 4.
- Walk 325 m, about 4-5 minutes, toward Saemunan-ro.
- The address is 29, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu.
If your route runs through Gwanghwamun or City Hall anyway, the walk from either direction is realistic on foot.
Plan to arrive by subway — parking availability around Saemunan-ro is not confirmed in any recent source.
Hours, Closing Days and Admission
Per the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s visitseoul.net listing, Gyeonggyojang at 29, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu opens daily 09:00-18:00 and closes Mondays and January 1.
That gives you a Tuesday-Sunday visit window, six days a week.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Open hours | 09:00-18:00 daily |
| Closed days | Mondays and January 1 |
| Visit window | Tuesday-Sunday, six days a week |
No admission fee is shown on the visitseoul.net English listing, so no price can be stated here — Seoul city-run museums are often free, but check museum.seoul.go.kr or call +82-2-735-2038 before you budget.
Whether the last entry time falls earlier than 18:00 also needs on-site confirmation.
If you are planning a weekend visit, Saturday and Sunday both work under the standard hours; only Mondays and New Year’s Day block you.
If the fee matters to your plan, resolve it the day before rather than at the door.
What Happened Here: 1938 to Now
Kim Ku lived and worked at Gyeonggyojang from November 4, 1945 to 1949 and was assassinated there on June 26, 1949.
The house was built in 1938 during the Japanese colonial period as a Japanese-style residence originally named Jukcheomjang, designed by architect Kim Se-yeon.
For about four years it served as Kim Ku’s residence and the headquarters of the Provisional Government and his Korea Independence Party.
After that, from 1949 to 1952 the building served as the embassy of the Republic of China, and from 1967 as part of Korea Hospital — about 18 years of non-museum institutional use.
It became Seoul Tangible Cultural Heritage No.
129 on April 6, 2001, and was promoted to National Designated Cultural Heritage No.
465 on June 13, 2005 — 67 years passed between construction and national designation.
If you are reading the plaque dates as you walk through, the 1945-1949 period is the core of the story; the rest explains why the building survived at all.
What to Pair With It Nearby
Pair Gyeonggyojang with the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, a short walk from the same Seodaemun Station area.
That makes a same-day, history-themed route with one subway ride.
The listing’s own tags point to Gwanghwamun as well, which fits the house’s position between Gwanghwamun and Seodaemun.
If you want a quick, low-effort history stop near Gwanghwamun, fitting this in is easy — it is a 4-5 minute walk from Exit 4 and sits between two major landmarks.
If you want to fill a full afternoon with history, the prison-to-Gyeonggyojang walk covers both ends of the period.
Beyond the prison, no nearby pairing is backed by a dedicated source, so build that part of the day around the tags rather than a fixed plan.
Before You Go: What to Double-Check
Several practical details cannot be confirmed from the retrieved sources, so check them on the official pages the day before.
The admission fee, current exhibition contents, photography policy, English signage or audio guides, and parking all sit outside what this post can state — Seoul Museum of History hosts an English page for Gyeonggyojang at museum.seoul.go.kr, and the phone is +82-2-735-2038.
No source states how long a visit takes, so set aside a flexible amount of time rather than a fixed slot.
If I were planning my first visit, I would arrive Tuesday through Sunday before 17:00 and exit at Seodaemun Station Exit 4, because a morning slot leaves room for a flexible stay and the shorter walk keeps the plan simple.
My first check would be the fee and English interpretation by phone, rather than assuming either from the English listing.
If English-language interpretation is essential to your visit, confirm it by phone first rather than assuming it from the English listing.
👉 Korea travel guides by region
👉 visitseoul.net: Gyeonggyojang
👉 Seoul Museum of History: Gyeonggyojang (English)
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Sources
- No recent source found — omitted rather than guessed (english.visitseoul.net)
- type (museum.seoul.go.kr)
- route_planner_tool (koreankorea.com)
Key Facts at a Glance
- Before you go, confirm the admission fee: hours are 09:00-18:00 with Mondays and January 1 closed.
- Next, check how to reach it: Seodaemun Station (Line 5) Exit 4, then a 325 m walk of about 4-5 minutes.
- Then decide whether history matters to you: Kim Ku’s residence and Provisional Government headquarters from November 4, 1945 to 1949; assassinated here June 26, 1949.
- Also worth knowing: built 1938; national heritage designation No. 465 came 67 years later, on June 13, 2005.
- Finally, verify your budget: no fee is shown on the official English listing — confirm on museum.seoul.go.kr or +82-2-735-2038 before budgeting.
FAQ
Q. Is Gyeonggyojang free to enter?
No admission fee is listed on the visitseoul.net English page, and no price can be stated here. Seoul city-run museums are often free — check museum.seoul.go.kr or call +82-2-735-2038 before your visit.
Q. How do I get to Gyeonggyojang by subway?
Take Subway Line 5 to Seodaemun Station and leave through Exit 4. The walk is 325 m, roughly 4-5 minutes, along Saemunan-ro.
Q. What happened at Gyeonggyojang in 1949?
Kim Ku, President of the Provisional Government of Korea, was assassinated at Gyeonggyojang on June 26, 1949, after living and working there from November 4, 1945.
Q. When is Gyeonggyojang open and closed?
It opens daily 09:00-18:00 KST and closes Mondays and January 1, per the Seoul Metropolitan Government listing.
Q. Is Gyeonggyojang worth visiting for a short Seoul trip?
It suits travelers following Korean independence history — a 4-5 minute walk from Seodaemun Station Exit 4, and easy to pair with the Seodaemun Prison History Hall the same day.
For more stops in this part of the city, see the koreankorea.com Korea travel guides by region.
Cover photo: AI-generated illustration (historic korean house) — AI-generated image, illustrative only
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