The municipal government of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province, on April 23 announced the completed restoration of Hwaseong Haenggung Palace 119 years after the facility was heavily damaged during Japanese annexation of the Korean Peninsula. Yonhap News

By Lee Jihae

Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, which was severely damaged during Japan's efforts to annex the Korean Peninsula, has been fully restored after 119 years.

The municipal government of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province, where the palace is located, on April 24 held a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the completed restoration of the compound's buildings Uhwagwan and Byeolju at the outer yard of Uhwagwan.

Completed 119 years after both buildings were destroyed by the Japanese, the project took 35 years since its launch in 1989.

The palace was built in 1789 after King Jeongjo relocated the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado. Measuring over 1,200 square m, it was the largest provincial palace outside of the capital during the Joseon Dynasty.

In peacetime, it was mostly used as a government office and as accommodations when the king and his entourage visited Suwon.

The destruction of the palace began in 1905, when Uhwagwan, which was lodging for government officials and envoys, was demolished to make way for a public elementary school. From 1911, the palace's main building Bongsudang was used as Jahye Clinic. 

In 1923, the Japanese colonial government demolished part of the palace to build a public hospital in Gyeonggi-do Province.

Restoration work began in 1989 when a committee for the task was launched.

"No other haenggung (a temporary palace where the king and royal family stayed) has as diverse a history and functions as Hwaseong Haenggung Palace," a Suwon City Hall official said. "Through this project, we restored the ordinary yet special appearance of the palace to its original state and widely publicized its value."

jihlee08@korea.kr