Old Provincial Government Main Building of Jeollanam-do, Historic government building in Dong District Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
The Old Provincial Government Main Building of Jeollanam-do is a three-story masonry structure in Gwangju with a central entrance and symmetrically arranged windows. The facade displays characteristic features of 1930s administrative architecture with carefully crafted stone detailing.
Designed by Korean architect Kim Sun-ha and built by the Japanese firm Okura Civil Engineering, the building was completed on 5 December 1930 after work began on 23 June. It served as the Jeollanam-do provincial government headquarters until the offices moved to Namak-ri, Muan County, in 2005. In May 1980 it was the site of the final battle of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, and it was registered as Modern Cultural Heritage No. 16 on 31 May 2002.
The building's front entrance has a canopy on square pillars with geometric ridges, and three arched windows above the door set it apart from the plain vertical windows of the side wings. This hierarchy was a standard device for expressing authority in Japanese colonial-era government buildings.
The building is open for public visits and features information panels about regional governance history. Visitors should allow time to explore the facade details and interior layout of the administrative spaces.
The structure received recognition as a Registered Cultural Property of Korea in 2002 and preserves its original construction. The offices inside offer a rare look at how provincial administration functioned during this period.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,252 contributors worldwide.