Hapcheon 1. Movie Theme Park - 1 - The place where you can start a time travel to the 1. Entrance past. The Hapcheon Movie Theme Park was first built to film the Korean blockbuster movie titled 'Brotherhood', which was directed by Kang Je-gyu and released in 2004. The movie is about a tragic story of two brothers who were drafted into the South Korean Army at the break of the Korean War in 1950. Hallyu stars Jang Dong-geon and Won Bin played the two brothers, and over 2,500 extras were hired for the movie. For this movie, large film sets were built to reproduce the city of Pyeongyang and streets of Jongno in South Korea. These are the film sets. They became a popular tourist attraction after the movie became a blockbuster hit. It was only after the release of the movie that people decided to reproduce Seoul in the 1920s during the Japanese Occupation of Korea, Seoul in economic development after the Korean War and also Seoul in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, these film sets became streets of history and memories as you see today. There is an array of buildings showing the everyday lifestyle of the city as well as the modern politics, economy, society and culture of Korea. - 2 - The buildings in these film sets of 'Brotherhood' were originally built for temporary purposes, but were given street addresses later. Today, there are more than 150 buildings in the film sets, all with an actual street address. Having a street address means that they're registered as a real estate property. Still, the buildings are used for filming movies, and it's fun to watch how they can be changed to serve different purposes simply by switching the hanging board. Inside the buildings, you can enjoy various exhibitions, learn how movies are made and watch old movies. The theme park also turns into a ghost park during the summer nights. The cultural heritage commentator will tell you some interesting stories about the movie stars who came here to shoot a film. If you're lucky, you might be able to see a filming location in action - all because you're here in the Hapcheon Movie Theme Park. - 3 - Gyeonggyojang, where the Korean political 2. Gyeonggyojang leader 'Baekbeom' Kim Gu was killed. 'Baekbeom' Kim Gu was a Korean independence activist and one of the most respected politicians in Korea during the Japanese Occupation of Korea. He served as the President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, which was organized in Shanghai, China in 1919 during the Japanese Occupation of Korea. 'Gyeonggyojang' is a two-story building on the left side of the street that starts from the front gate of the Movie Theme Park. Kim Gu used 'Gyeonggyojang' as his official residence and headquarters of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea upon his return from China after Korea's Liberation from Japan in 1945. After his assassination, the building was used as the Embassy of Taiwan and then headquarters of the U.S. Special Forces before it was purchased by the Samsung Foundation in 1967 to be used as the main building of Gangbuk Samsung Hospital. In 2004, it was rented out to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and was restored. Now it serves as a memorial hall. The restoration took four years. The window glass with two bullet holes was also restored at the memorial hall. The two bullet holes were made when the bullets killed Kim Gu. The memorial hall also displays the bloody traditional Korean vest that he wore when he was killed. In movies and TV dramas, the buildings may look as big as the actual building, but most of the buildings in the Hapcheon Movie Theme Park are only about 60% of the original size. It's the same with - 4 - 'Gyeonggyojang'. While this building mostly appears as 'Gyeonggyojang' in most of the movies, it's also sometimes transformed into a school in some other movies. It can be fun to find out what other purposes this historic building serves in the movies and TV dramas. - 5 - Donamjang and Ihwajang, where the First 3. Donamjang and President of the Republic of Korea Rhee Ihwajang Syngman lived. After Korea's Liberation from Japan in 1945, Dr. Rhee Syngman returned from the U.S. with his Austrian-born wife Francesca Donner. At first, they unpacked at the Chosen Hotel. They checked out of the hotel and moved to 'Donamjang' in Dongsomun-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. They didn't buy or rent the house because the house owner was a man of wealth and let them stay there for free. After two years of living there, Dr. Rhee and his wife moved to a house called 'Mapojang' and lived there for a short period, and then moved to another house called 'Ihwajang'. The money to buy this house was raised by more than 30 of his friends, and they gave this house to him as a gift. 'Ihwajang', located at the foot of Naksan Mountain, Seoul, is a historic place not only because Rhee Syngman lived there, but also because it was the residence of one of the princes of the Joseon Dynasty. He and his wife lived there for two years until he moved to the Blue House after becoming the first President of the Republic of Korea. And after living at the Blue House for 12 years as the President, he moved - 6 - back to Ihwajang upon his resignation on April 28, 1960. But this time, he stayed there for only one month because he left for Hawaii as a political refugee. He died in Hawaii five years later. Francesca Donner, the widowed first First Lady of the Republic of Korea, returned to Korea in 1970 and lived in Ihwajang until her death. In the Hapcheon Movie Theme Park, 'Ihwajang' is located right next to 'Gyeonggyojang', the official residence of Kim Gu. It is ironic to have the two buildings next to each other, since they were political rivals when they were alive. The 'Ihwajang' in this theme park serves as a traditional Korean restaurant despite its exterior resemblance to the original one. - 7 - 4. Japanese The Japanese Government-General of Korea Government-General Building as a symbol of Japanese occupation of Korea The Japanese Government-General of Korea was headquarters for Japan's colonial rule of Korea. In 1926, the Japanese Forces built their Government-General of Korea building in the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds in order to demonstrate their power. This reinforced concrete structure covered with granite slabs, this domed building represented the most modern architecture at that time. The building was used by the Korean government after the Korean War and then as the National Museum of Korea after 1986. However, the building was demolished in 1995 to give way to the restoration of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula for 35 years from 1910 to August 15, 1945, and such oppression was unprecedented in the history of Korea. The Japanese Government-General of Korea demanded Koreans to have a Japanese name and live as a Japanese citizen. Even Sohn Kee-chung, the 1936 Olympic Marathon gold medalist, had to wear the Japanese flag. After the Olympics, some of the Korean newspapers put him on their paper with the Japanese flag erased on his chest. However, they couldn't escape the watchful eyes of the Japanese Government-General of Korea. Those newspapers were forced to shut down or suspended, and their employees were arrested. Sohn Kee-chung is still one of the most loved athletes of all time in Korea. - 8 - Bando Hotel, the first business hotel in 5. Bando Hotel Korea. 'Daebul Hotel' in Incheon was the first hotel ever built in Korea. It was built in 1889 by a Japanese man, who saw business opportunities in the tourists who flocked to the city after the opening of Incheon Port. Then which was the first hotel built in Seoul? It was 'Sontag Hotel', built in 1902 in Jeong-dong, Seoul. It was the first European style hotel established by Antoinette Sontag. The building was bestowed to this French-born German woman by Gojong of the Korean Empire and then renovated into a hotel. Neither Daebul Hotel nor Sontag Hotel remains today. The oldest hotel still in service is the 'Chosun Hotel', which is now called the 'Westin Chosun Hotel'. Built in 1914, it was the first hotel furnished with an elevator, European restaurant, buffet and ballroom. This hotel was one of the reasons why Sogong-dong became the center of the new western culture in Korea. But the first business hotel built in Korea was Bando Hotel. It was built by a Japanese entrepreneur named Noguchi Shitagau. A story has it that he decided to build a bigger hotel right next to the Chosun Hotel after being rejected by the Chosun Hotel for having shabby clothes on. He ended up building an eight-story hotel next to the four-story Chosun Hotel. After Korea's Liberation from Japan, Bando Hotel was used as the headquarters of the U.S. Forces and lodging for their officers. In the 1950's, Korean politicians used to meet there. Bando Hotel was sold to Lotte in 1974 and replaced by Lotte Hotel, which has been in service ever since. On the first floor of Lotte Hotel Seoul, there is the Hotel Museum displaying the items used at some of the first hotels built in Korea as well as photos of the hotels.