In the second half of 2025, the Hanyangdoseong Museum opens its special exhibition Demolition of Hanyangdoseong, Breaking the Boundaries of Hanyang.
King Taejo Yi Seong-gye, founder of the Joseon dynasty, established palaces, the Jongmyo Shrine, and the Sajik Altar in Hanyang based on Confucian ideals, and in 1396 began construction of Hanyangdoseong to defend the capital. The city wall functioned as both a physical boundary separating the capital from the provinces and a symbol of royal authority. After Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War, it began interfering in the Korean Empire, establishing the Wall Disposal Committee in 1907 to commence the full-scale demolition of Hanyangdoseong. Under the pretext of modernization and urban development, gates and walls were destroyed, replaced with colonial government facilities and residential areas.
To mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation, this exhibition presents the process of the demolition of Hanyangdoseong by Japan and the transformation of Seoul into a colonial city, using a wide range of historical materials.