Every journey starts on a road. You walk on the road paved by someone else and the fun of traveling down that road is listening to the story embedded underneath it. Here is a great way to listen to the stories of Seoul’s contemporary history. Let’s meet Mr. Sa Jong-min of Seoul Museum of History to find out more about Saemun-gil.

Saemun-gil refers to a stretch of avenue from Gwanghwamun to Seodaemun Station. When King Taejo first built four main gates for Hanyang, the capital of Joseon, he built the west gate near today’s Sajik Tunnel in the western part of the city. But then a geomancer said the gate location was not proper, so a new west gate was erected near today’s Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center between Gyeonghuigung Palace and Seodaemun Station. The name Saemun-gil comes from the construction of the new gate, called saemun in Korean. Today’s Saemun-gil is known for a cluster of museums, galleries, and cultural centers. Starting with Seoul Museum of History, the area houses twelve cultural landmarks, including the Korean National Police Heritage Museum, the Agricultural Museum of Korea, the Salvation Army History Museum of Korea, Jeongdong Kyung Hyang Gallery, Gallery Jung, and the archive of Saemoonan Presbyterian Church.

Saemun-gil is a street lined up with museums and galleries, as well as a treasure trove of cultural and historical sites. At the turn of the 20th century, this is where foreign missionaries built their churches, modern-day schools, and foreign consulates. There are still stones marking where Joseon era government offices used to stand. Now in the 21st century Saemun-gil is where people can find out more about the contemporary history of the nation’s capital. There is no better way to follow the city’s history than to go over the attractions featured at the Saemunro Museum and Culture Festival which ran from October 22nd to 27th.

The Saemun-gil museum tour begins at the lobby of the Seoul Museum of History where visitors can look at a miniaturized model of Seoul. A guide enters “Saemun-gil” in the search engine to bring up the history of Saemun-gil and the transformation of the Seodaemun area. Visitors can also follow the route to different museums lining the street. Here’s tour guide Yu Hye-seung to explain more.

Look at the street in front of the building. This 8-lane street is Saemunan-gil, which used to be called Shinmun-ro. The name was changed in 2007 to a purely Korean one. The street goes on for about 1.1 kilometers from Seodaemun Station to Gwanghwamun Plaza. The avenue used to be divided into Saemunan-gil, or the road inside the new gate, or Saemunbak-gil, or the road outside the new gate. There are a few narrower streets like Gyeonghuigunh Palace road or Jeongdong road along the main street, but Saemun-gil encompasses all the little branch roads along the entire stretch.

Now that the visitors have seen the route, they embark on their museum tour. And the first stop is the archive building of Saemoonan Presbyterian Church. It’s located about three minutes on foot from the Seoul Museum of History.

Saemoonan Presbyterian Church is celebrating its 123rd anniversary. Its beginning dates back to September 17th, 1887 when American missionary Horace Underwood held the first service in his room. Called the “mother church,” Underwood’s church was the first organized congregation in Korea and today’s archive building houses important materials pertaining to the nation’s evangelical history. The next stop is the Salvation Army building, which was built in 1928. It was rated one of the ten greatest western-style buildings in Seoul. Recognizing its historical and architectural significance, the city of Seoul designated the building as Seoul Monument No. 20 in 2003. The Salvation Army History Museum of Korea opened in 2004 to showcase the materials and relics from the original Salvation Army office and the early days of Salvation Army operation in the 1930s. Here’s Ms. Kim Hee-suk of the Salvation Army History Museum to explain more.

The Salvation Army History Museum of Korea is where you can see historical documents from the early years of Salvation Army in Korea. Salvation Army first made its way into Korea in 1908, and we have materials from back then. Visitors can see what the situation was like in the early days of proselytizing western faith and the country’s hardship during the early 20th century. The museum also has displays about the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War. The photograph and document exhibitions show how Salvation Army missionaries and preachers helped the needy during the difficult times.

The Salvation Army bells will continue to ring out this December all over the world as the red kettles invite people to share their love with the less fortunate.

In addition to Saemoonan Church and the Salvation Army Museum, the Appenzeller Noble Memorial Museum for the founder of Pai Chai Academy also features century-old relics. The old three-story red brick building stands on a low hill along Jeongdong-gil.

Pai Chai Academy is Korea’s first modern educational institutions founded by American Methodist missionary Henry Appenzeller. It’s also the predecessor to Pai Chai Middle and High School and PaiChai University now located in the eastern part of Seoul. The building still retains the features from 1916 when it was first built.

Pai Chai Academy was first established in 1885, so it’s been 125 years. The museum shows the history of the school as well as the nation in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was Korea’s first modern school. In addition to the school history, the Appenzeller Noble Memorial Museum has exhibitions about Korea’s Christian history, since the school was founded by a Methodist missionary. You are allowed to put on the original school uniform and sit on the chair and look at the blackboard to experience what it was like to attend class in those days. There is also a PR video presentation. Once again, it’s located in Jeongdong.

Newspaper was an essential part of Korea’s contemporary life. It was back in 1883 when Korea’s first modern newspaper Hanseongsunbo was published to deliver news from other parts of the globe and enlighten the Korean people. The paper also served as a concentric force in the resistance movement. Presseum or Newspaper Museum is where people can get an overview of newspaper history. The museum is located on the third and fourth floors of Donga Media Center near Gwanghwamun Plaza.

This museum was opened in 2000. Presseum is Korea’s first and only museum devoted to newspapers. There are very few like this around the world. Former Donga Ilbo Chairman Kim Sang-man kept everything related to his paper since the liberation and opened this museum.

Presseum features the history of Korea’s newspaper publishing and some 80 different kinds of newspapers from all over the world. Visitors can also see the detailed newspaper-making process. But the most popular part of the museum is where you can print your own newspaper.

You first choose a background of your choice out of 12 different options. Then you take a picture of yourself and make a composite of your photo and the pre-selected background with a caption underneath it to complete a newspaper article with your own photo and writing.

- I chose Cheonji Lake of Mt. Baekdu and my child is writing a mock article about visiting Mt. Baekdu. He’s writing it as if he’s really been there.
- I took a photo of Cheonggyecheon. It’s a fun and new experience. I’m becoming more interested in Korean newspapers. I mainly used to watch TV news, not read newspapers, but I realized how important it is to obtain information through newspapers. My dream is to become a famous person gracing the front page.
- It’s very interesting. I’ve been here before, but now I know more about newspaper publishing since I took part in the do-it-yourself program. I’m more curious and it feels like I’m on a treasure island.

If you are more into tradition and history, the Agricultural Museum of Korea may be your thing. Located toward Seodaemun Station, the Agricultural Museum opened in 1987 and has a wide range of exhibits pertaining to Korean agriculture.

This is the Agricultural Museum of Korea. It was first opened in 1987, but underwent renovation to be reopened in 2005 with brand new equipment. The three-story building has various exhibits and hands-on programs, so check them out and meet me back here in 20 minutes.

The world is rapidly going digital, but farming still requires people’s hard work and loving care. Unless you put your heart into it, the earth will not yield good crops. Having long been an agricultural country, Korea has a wide range of precious agricultural artifacts and relics to show today’s younger generation.

- I’m really grateful to farmers. Korea’s rice farming and other agricultural traditions have so much to teach other nations. There were many interesting traditional farming equipment and there used to be bull fights at farmers’ markets.

Saemun-gil stretches for only a kilometer, which can be covered in just 15 minutes. But it will take much longer if you lend your ears to all the wonderful historical tales the street has to tell. Find out more about the rich contemporary history of Seoul as you take a stroll along the scenic street.