A building in Washington D.C. that used to serve as the main diplomatic mission by the Korean Empire has drawn more than eight-thousand visitors since its reopening last year. 

According to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday, four-thousand-956 visitors were from South Korea and three-thousand-296 were locals. 

The empire had used the building as its U.S. diplomatic mission since 1889. It was taken by Japan through its annexation of the Korean Peninsula, but was later purchased by an unidentified individual. 

The state-run agency bought back the property in October 2012 and reopened it in May 2018 after a 30-month refurbishment project. President Moon Jae-in attended the opening ceremony last year alongside descendants of Koreans who served as diplomats at the mission.