Gyeonggyojang, Historic house in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea
Gyeonggyojang is a two-story residential building in Seoul that blends Japanese architectural styles from the 1930s with local design elements. The rooms display tatami mats, sliding doors, and crafted details such as a mother-of-pearl inlaid table.
Gyeonggyojang was completed in 1938 as the villa of Choi Chang-hak, who made his fortune in gold mining under Japanese rule; it was then called Jukcheomjang. From November 1945 it housed Kim Ku, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and the Korea Independence Party. Kim renamed it after a nearby bridge and was assassinated there by Ahn Doo-hee on 26 June 1949. It later served as the Republic of China embassy, was bought by the Samsung Foundation in 1967 and became the entrance of Korea Hospital.
Kim Ku renamed the villa Gyeonggyojang after a nearby bridge, the Gyeonggyo, replacing its Japanese name Jukcheomjang. His second-floor office in the west wing was later run by Samsung as a Kim Ku memorial room. The building now forms the entrance to Gangbuk Samsung Hospital.
The property is located near Seodaemun Station and is easily accessible on foot from the main street. Visitors should note that entry times may vary and group visits sometimes require advance arrangements.
The building was originally named Jukcheomjang (竹添莊) by its first owner, mining businessman Choi Chang-hak. Kim Ku renamed it Gyeonggyojang after a nearby bridge, and the name stuck even after the house later served as the Chinese embassy and a hospital entrance.
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