Independence Hall of Korea

Independence Hall of Korea is a museum in Cheonan with seven indoor exhibition halls spanning 23,424 square meters of space dedicated to artifacts from different periods of Korean history. The halls are organized by theme and display everything from ancient royal dynasties to modern Korean independence movements.

The museum opened on August 15, 1987, funded by citizen donations to preserve materials about Korea's independence movement during Japanese colonial rule. The opening date aligned with Korea's national holiday, emphasizing the place's importance to the nation's collective memory.

The Hall of National Heritage displays royal manuscripts from the Joseon Dynasty and writings by King Sejong about the Korean alphabet Hangeul. These items show how ancient Korean rulers valued their own written language and cultural identity.

Visitors can follow four different thematic paths through the exhibitions, and braille brochures are available for visually impaired guests. The layout lets people choose their own route based on which time periods or topics of Korean history interest them most.

The museum houses the first edition of Tongnip Sinmun, Korea's first private newspaper, and the original text of the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905. These two documents mark two critical moments in Korean history: the growing resistance to occupation and the formal moment of Japanese subjugation.