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영어

Saemunanro (Road) is the 1.59 kilometer-long, 8-lane, 40 meter-wide road betweenSejongno Intersection and Seodaemun Intersection. Along with its eastward extensionJongno road, it is a major east-west thoroughfare in Seoul connecting the main East Gateto the main West Gate of the old Seoul city wall. The Saemunan-Jongno route, connecting the east and the west parts of downtown Seoul, dates back to the construction of the new capital of the Joseon Dynasty in 1392. Compared to Jongno, which has been touted as the central road of Seoul, however, Saemunanro has long been under-appreciated. This study reviews the construction and transformation of Saemunanro throughout theJoseon period and changes brought to it during the Japanese Occupation period, when the overall layout of the road as we see today was finalized. Also reviewed in this study are the value of Saemunanro throughout history and the significance of changes over time. Seoul was constructed as the new capital of Joseon at the inception of the dynasty, and the city’s overall design was maintained through its waning years. The construction of Gyeonghuigung (Palace) along Saemunanro in the 17thcentury was a part of reconstruction of the city after the devastation of twowars- the Japanese invasion(Imjin War) and Qing Chinese incursion. Such remodeling adhered to and repeated the ideology and principles of the construction of the new capital that were set down in the early Joseon period. In the process of the reconstruction, Saemunanro saw the development of subsidiary and alternate routes around Heunghwamun, the main gate to Gyeonghuigung. During the reigns of King Sukjong and King Yeongjo in the 18thcentury, Saemunanro was managed to serve the needs of the palace as the Great West Gate was closed from time to time. The shape and characteristics of Saemunanro did not change through the Korean Empire period (1897- 1910). The area around Seodaemun, the West Gate, became a center for transportation and a window for modern amenities, as train stations and road-car stops were located along Saemunanro. The basic functionality of the road, however, did not change because the road was still managed to serve the purposes of royal power and the needs of royal palaces, which conflicted with the ideology of modern city management. Today’s Saemunanro retains the shape created by the City Remodeling Project that was conducted during the Japanese occupation period. The road was remodeled and redesigned in 1915, around the time of the Joseon Products Exhibition; Jongno’s remodeling came later in the 1930s. As a result of the early remodeling, the vestiges of the Korean Empire period (1897-1910) like the city walls, Gyeonghuigung and Honggyeo disappeared early-on. Saemunanro has gradually transformed into what we see today, having developed differently from Jongno. A city is composed of roads and buildings, laid out intentionally according to a design. People’s movements and perspectives will be limited by the intention behind the placements within the space. Those who are in power have the ability to transform the cityspaces and layout. The city roads, therefore, are controlled by state power, and amplifythat power through rearrangements of spaces. Accordingly, Saemunanro underwent rapidtransformation over its history, from the time of the construction of the city as the capitalof Joseon through the remodeling during the Japanese colonial period. The road’s formand the buildings alongside it have changed to meet the purpose s of those who were inpower during different periods. Historically, the road did not have connected rows of onestoryhouses or back-alleys like the Pimatgol alleyways running parallel to Jongno road. The absence of such existing structures along Saemunanro made it possible to highlight thechanges made in different periods. The road’s transformation and its significance, however,have not enjoyed the limelight, because of the prejudiced view that Saemunanro was farsmaller than Jongno. This study of the transformation of Saemunanro and its significanceis hoped to contribute to the balanced study of the original shape of Seoul.