Seodaemun Prison History Hall
서대문형무소역사관
A prison opened in 1908 and used through the colonial period and beyond, now run as a museum. Cell blocks and the execution building survive; the site is registered as the Former Seodaemun Prison. It closes on Mondays, and its hours differ between summer and winter.
Language
Place information
- Korean name
- 서대문형무소역사관
- Address
- 251 Tongil-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Hyeonjeo-dong, Independence Park)
- Opening hours
- Mar–Oct 09:30–18:00 Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec 09:30–17:00
- Closed
- Every Mon (closed the following day instead if it falls on a public holiday) · Jan 1 · Seollal (the day itself only) · Chuseok (the day itself only)
- Admission
- ₩3,000
- Operated by
- Seodaemun-gu Office
Prices
| Adult(aged 19 to 64) | ₩3,000 |
|---|---|
| Youth(aged 13 to 18) | ₩1,500 |
| Child(aged 7 to 12) | ₩1,000 |
| Group rate, adult · Group(adults, as a group) | ₩2,400 |
| Senior concession · Senior | Free |
History
Seodaemun Prison opened in October 1908 and was used as a prison for 80 years, until it closed in November 1987. In 1944, it held 2,890 people. Kim Gu, Kang U-gyu and Yu Gwan-sun were among those imprisoned here; Yu Gwan-sun died here.
After the Seoul Detention Centre moved to Uiwang in November 1987, some buildings were retained and the rest demolished. Seodaemun District opened Seodaemun Prison History Hall on 5 November 1998.
1908
Prison opening
The prison opened in October.
1987
Prison closure
The prison closed in November and the Seoul Detention Centre moved to Uiwang.
1998
History hall opening
Seodaemun District opened Seodaemun Prison History Hall on 5 November.
What to see
Security office building
Built in 1923, the security office building oversaw prison operations. White tiles added in 1959 were removed in 2010 to restore its original appearance; grey cement marks on the walls remain from that work.
Women’s cell 8
Women’s cell 8 was the site of a prison protest on 1 March 1920, the first anniversary of the March First Movement. There is a claim that Yu Gwan-sun was held in the basement, but the information board states that there is no evidence for it.
Execution building
The execution building is a Japanese-style wooden structure thought to have been built around 1916. A 5 m wall surrounds it, screening it from view even within the prison.
Punishment cells in Block 12
Block 12 contains three 2.4 m² cells used for punishment.
Site of demolished cell blocks
In 2010, the sites of demolished cell blocks were marked with red bricks previously used to build them. The character ‘京’ stamped in the bricks indicates that they were made at Gyeongseong Prison in Gongdeok-dong.
Security office building selected
Nearby
Stories about this place
- Seodaemun Prison History Hall: Its History and What to See
The history of Seodaemun Prison from its 1908 opening as a colonial-era prison, through its postwar use holding democracy-movement prisoners, to its 1998 opening as a history museum — and how to tell the surviving buildings from the later exhibitions when you visit.
- Four Major Museums in Seoul, Compared
The National Museum of Korea, the War Memorial, Seodaemun Prison History Hall and Leeum compared on what each holds, where it is, when it is closed, its hours and what it costs. Three sit in Yongsan and pair easily into one day, only one charges for its permanent exhibition, and there are fallbacks for a Monday or any other day the plan falls through.
