South Korea has fully recovered ownership of its old diplomatic mission on the outskirts of Washington after 102 years.

The Cultural Heritage Administration, the National Trust for Cultural Heritage and the South Korean Embassy in the U.S. took part in a signing ceremony in Washington on Thursday that finalized the purchase of the building.

The building served as South Korea’s legation in the U.S. between 1891 and 1905. The Japanese government forcibly purchased it for just five dollars shortly after the signing of the Japan–Korea Protectorate Treaty in 1905, which deprived Korea of its diplomatic sovereignty and later subjected it to Japan's imperial rule.

The South Korean government and National Assembly came up with some four billion won to repurchase the building.

The former mission, which is considered a symbol of Korea’s independent diplomacy, will be used to promote Korea’s culture and history.