Independence Gate

{{See also|Plinths of Yeongeunmun Gate, Seoul|Yeongeunmun}}

In early 1895, the Government of Joseon abandoned its long-standing diplomatic policy of sadae. Under sadae, Joseon was a tributary state of Qing China. To celebrate this change, the Government of Joseon demolished Yeongeunmun in February 1895, which they had built in 16th century as a symbolic gate for welcoming Chinese diplomats to the country.{{cite book |last=Kong Chan |first=Robert |date=2018 |title=Korea-China Relations in History and Contemporary Implications |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan Cham |isbn=978-3-319-62265-1 |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-62265-1 |pages=173|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-62265-1 }} On April 17, 1895, the Joseon Government was formally released from China's sphere of influence with the conclusion of the Treaty of Shimonoseki between the Empire of Japan and the Qing dynasty at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War.{{cite web |title=History of Korea > The Establishment of Independence Gate (Dongnipmun) |url=http://contents.history.go.kr/front/kh/view.do?category=english&levelId=kh_001_0070_0040_0020 |access-date=August 1, 2022 |publisher=National Institute of Korean History}}{{Cite web |last=Nam |first=Hyun-woo |date=2015-11-01 |title=Dongnimmun: gate reflects Korea's strong desire for independence |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/05/398_189972.html |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=The Korea Times |language=en}}

Philip Jaisohn proposed the building a new gate near the former site of Yeongeunmun's ruins to symbolize the country's desire for freedom. This plan was approved by King Gojong, and the gate was named "Independence Gate".

To support construction of the gate, Soh created the Independence Club and published Korea's first modern newspaper named Tongnip sinmun. Regular citizens of Joseon donated to the construction of the gate via a public campaign run by the newspaper.{{cite web |first=Hyung-eun |last=Kim | url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2009/06/07/features/Gate-of-independence-spirit-of-triumph/2905811.html | title=Gate of independence, spirit of triumph | website=Korea JoongAng Daily |date=2009-06-07| access-date=August 1, 2022}} Soh wrote the following in the English edition of that newspaper:

{{Blockquote

|title = Editorial

|quote = The croakers may croak and the pessimists may growl and the independence of Korea may be treated as a joke by those who can see nothing but the fact that His Majesty is still enjoying the hospitality of the Russian legation but they all argue from their fears and not from either present facts or future probabilities. Today we rejoice in the fact that the King has decided to erect upon the ruins of the arch outside the West Gate, a new one to be entitled Independence Arch. 독립문. We do not know as its inscription will be written in on-mun but we wish it might. For centuries the arch stood there as a constant insult to the autonomy of Korea, an autonomy which China always hastened to assert when called upon to stand responsible for any tremble in the peninsula but which site always denied when it was safe to do so. She denied it once too many times and now her "suzerainty" is where the old arch is, namely op-so. And now an arch is to be raised on the same spot to stand forever as a negation of Manchu dominance to show that Korea is once and for all cut off from the blighting influence of Chinese patronage; cut off, we hope, also from the system of fraud, corruption and trickery which today makes that most populous empire the laughing-stock of the world. This arch means independence not from China alone but from Japan from Russia and from all European powers. …

|author = Philip Jaisohn

|source = The Independent, June 20, 1895{{Cite web |first=Jaipil |last=Soh |title=The Croakers May Croak and the Pessimists May Growl and the Independence of Korea May … |url=http://lod.nl.go.kr/page/CNTS-00093089438 |publisher= The independent (digitally archived by National Library of Korea Newspaper archive) |website=Korean Newspaper Archive |date=1895-06-20 |access-date=2022-07-25}}

}}

The design of Independence Gate was inspired by the design of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. An unknown Swiss architect working for the German legation in Joseon created the blueprint for its construction. Its construction began in 1896, and finished in January 1898. The construction process was overseen by Korean engineer named {{Ill|Sim Ŭisŏk|ko|심의석}}.

The Government of South Korea designated it as a historic site of South Korea in 1963. The gate was initially located north of the plinths of Yeongeunmun Gate, but was relocated 70 meters northwest from its original place with plinths of Yeongeunmun Gate, due to construction of Seongsan Road and its overpass. It is now located in Seodaemun Independence Park, where Dongnimmun is located, is easily accessed from Exit 4 or 5 of Dongnimmun Station on Seoul Subway Line 3.

{{Commons category|Independence Gate}}

File:The independent 4th July 1896.jpg|An editorial in Tongnip sinmun promoting fundraising for construction of Dongnimmun, July 4, 1896

File:독립문_기공식_초청장.png|An image of the invitation to the groundbreaking ceremony for the Independence Gate on November 21, 1896

File:Hamilton - En Corée - p052.png|Scene of Dongnimmun looking down the Plinths of Yeongeunmun Gate in 1904

File:Independence Gate after the First Battle of Seoul.png|North Korean propaganda installed on the Independence Gate after the First Battle of Seoul, 1950

File:195103 1950年朝鲜战争中国志愿军攻入汉城独立门.png|The Chinese People's Volunteer Army storming through Independence Gate during the Third Battle of Seoul, January 1951

File:Independence Gate Seoul Korea 1955.jpg|View of Dongnimmun from northern side in 1955 before relocation

File:Dokripmun.jpg|Dongnimmun and Plinths of Yeongeunmun Gate, Seoul after relocation

File:Hangul Script on the Dongnimmun Gate.jpg|Letters of '독립문' and Taegukgi is carved on arch via Vertical writing. Below sign of flower is symbol of House of Yi

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• Yeongeunmun Gate
• Plinths of Yeongeunmun Gate, Seoul
• Independence Club
• Tongnip sinmun
• Seodaemun Independence Park
• Dongnimmun station

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{{reflist}}

• [http://english.cha.go.kr/chaen/search/selectGeneralSearchDetail.do?mn=EN_02_02&sCcebKdcd=13&ccebAsno=00320000&sCcebCtcd=11 Dongnimmun Arch, Seoul (Cultural Heritage Administration Official site in English)]

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Category:Historic Sites of South Korea

Category:1890s establishments in Korea

Category:Buildings and structures of the Korean Empire

Category:Philip Jaisohn

Category:Triumphal arches

Category:Gates in South Korea

Category:Buildings and structures in Seodaemun District

Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1898

Category:Relocated buildings and structures

Category:History of Seoul

Category:Historic buildings and structures in Seoul