Gwanghwamun Square Photo Journal | Featuring 39+ Photos

Gwanghwamun Square is a public square in the heart of the cultural and historical center of Seoul, South Korea. The following is a complete look at my personal photography journal detailing my adventures to Gwanghwamun Square.

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My Complete Photo Archive of Gwanghwamun Square:
Photographs: 49
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September 2014

Directly in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace is a long street, called Sejong-Daero, it has historical significance as the main entrance to the palace since the palace was first built at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty. Now there are roads for driving, but a central area is created in a block-like park, this area is named Gwanghwamun Square. Coming out of the palace on this particular day in mid-September 2014 with my newly purchased first DSLR camera, I headed through the square and photographed the famous statues that were built there. There are two main statues, a tall statue of Admiral Yi Soon-Sin, and a golden statue of King Sejong the Great, both being national heroes in South Korea for centuries.

Sejong the Great Statue in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, South Korea

Inventions by Sejong the Great Statue in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, South Korea

The above is the golden statue of King Sejong the Great. There are also some smaller statues displaying some of the scientific accomplishments that the king made during his reign. The letters are written along the base of the large statue, as King Sejong is credited for the creation of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul.

I continued to photograph the statue of Admiral Yi Soon-Sin:

Statue of Admiral Yi Soon-Sin at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea

The Sewol Ferry Disaster is one of the most well-known disasters in South Korea. Sewol Ferry capsized en route to Jeju Island in April 2014. The captain and crew fled for safety leaving hundreds of people, including many high school students and teachers, on board and instructing them to remain in their cabins. The owner of the ferry wasn’t following proper safety protocols and the ferry was extremely overweight. This and the handling of search and rescue was highly criticized and sparked nationwide outrage and protests. The events of the Sewol disaster eventually spiraled into investigations and allegations against President Park Geun-Hye, who was impeached and imprisoned for abuse of power and bribery, among other charges.

I have no position in any of the political affairs, however, at this time in September, the protests that resulted were still ongoing. Gwanghwamun is a major area for political protests, perhaps because of its proximity to the Presidential house and other governmental buildings. Finding myself in the square, I simply documented some of what I found there.

Photographs and displays of protest, following the Sewol Ferry Disaster in Seoul, South Korea

Just outside the corner of Gwanghwamun Square is the Monument for the 40th Anniversary of King Gojong’s Enthronement. It has a structure built around it. As I walked past I also took several photographs of the monument structure.