By Kim Hyelin
Photos = Yonhap News
The reconstructed Dondeokjeon, a building within Deoksugung Palace in Seoul used for diplomacy during the Korean Empire era (1897-1910), has greeted its first visitors before its official opening in September.
The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on June 26 held a preview of the facility for invited social media influencers and diplomats from the 12 countries that formed diplomatic relations with the empire from 1876 to 1902: Japan, the U.S., Germany, U.K., Italy, Russia, France, Austria-Hungary, China, Belgium and Denmark.
Featuring Western architecture, the two-story building is in the back of Seokjojeon at Deoksugung.
Dondeokjeon was the venue for an event commemorating the 40th year of King Gojong's reign but mostly used to host diplomatic exchanges and greet high-ranking guests. The king ruled from 1863 to 1907.
In the 1920s, the building was hardly used and later demolished by the Japanese colonial government under plans to turn Deoksugung into a park.
CHA reconstructed Dondeokjeon based on conjecture of its location and appearance extrapolated from tiles and bricks found during a 2017 excavation. Reconstruction was completed in November last year, with maintenance and landscaping work recently finished.
The official opening of Dondeokjeon is slated for September.
Its first and second floors will be decorated with items reflecting the history of the empire's diplomacy.
Thirty people attended the event including diplomats from eight of the 12 countries with ties with the empire -- Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, Austria, Hungary, Belgium and Denmark-- and 12 social influencers from all 12 states.
The exterior of the reconstructed Dondeokjeon features red bricks, blue window frames, a balustrade engraved with plum flowers that symbolized the royal family and conical spires.
kimhyelin211@korea.kr