Hightlight
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Accessible
서대문형무소역사관
The Seodaemun Prison History Museum is a history museum located in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
Built in 1908 during the Japanese colonial period, the prison was used to imprison political prisoners, including independence activists.
In 1912, its name was changed to “Seodaemun Prison,” and after liberation, democracy activists and anti-government figures were also imprisoned.
The facility was closed in 1987 and reopened as a history museum in 1998. It offers a firsthand experience of the pain and resistance of modern and contemporary Korean history.
Main Exhibits
*The original prison cells, torture and interrogation chambers, execution chambers, and corpse transfer passages remain, providing a glimpse into the lives and hardships of independence activists and prisoners.
*Various auxiliary facilities, such as the women’s prison (Yeooksa), watchtower, and exercise yard (Bulkeukjang), have been restored or preserved in their original form, offering a glimpse into modern prison architecture. *You can glimpse the harsh conditions in which up to 3,500 people were imprisoned during the March 1st Movement.
The famous patriot Yu Gwan-sun also suffered here.
This is Korea’s Auschwitz, a place that holds the pain of our nation.
