The restoration of the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul will be completed in early 2010.

Foundation stones for Gwanghwamun were laid Thursday in a ceremony that was opened to the public. The Cultural Heritage Administration says the restoration work will be completed by the first half of 2010.

Built in 1395, Gwanghwamun was the front entrance of the Joseon Dynasty's main palace.

The gate was rebuilt in 1968 under President Park Chung-hee after parts of it were destroyed in the Korean War. During the Japanese colonial era, it had also been torn down and relocated.