Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul set to reopen soon: city officials

▲ This photo, taken on July 4, 2022, shows ongoing construction at Gwanghwamun Square, a landmark in central Seoul. (Yonhap)

Gwanghwamun Square-open

Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul set to reopen soon: city officials

By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- A fully-refurbished Gwanghwamun Square, a landmark in central Seoul, is expected to open to the public soon, city government officials said Monday.

The construction to expand the square and turn part of it into a park is expected to be completed by the end of this month or early next month, they said.

As of late June, 90.6 percent of the project -- launched by the administration of then-Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in November 2020 -- had been completed, the city government said.

The plan includes displays of artifacts from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) era, and the construction of a waterway resembling the drainage system of the time.

However, the construction of other works are expected to take longer to continue until December 2023.

Works include the restoration of a Joseon-era platform that used to stand in front of Gyeongbok Palace, north of the square, and two statues of "Haechi," a mythical four-legged creature, at their original sites.

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