Seokpajeong

Restored pavilion of Heungseon Daewongun

Seokpajeong, located in Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, is a stately “hanok,” or Korean traditional building, built by the Joseon Kingdom’s (1392-1910) man of power Heungseon Daewongun. He was the father of the Joseon’s penultimate king. The house was privately owned for decades, but is now on public view since last August at Seoul Museum, which is dedicated to Korean modern art.

Seokpajeong looks like a newly-built modern hanok, but when examined closely, some of the wood bears the 140 years of the history of the building. Backed with beautiful scenery of Mt. Inwang, Mt. Bugak and a small valley in front of the building, Seokpajeong is a hidden gem in the center of Seoul.

The stone wall structure in the Seokpajeong main building wall is found in only three other places — Nakseonjae of Changdeok Palace, Unhyeon Palace and Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon.

Restored pavilion of Heungseon Daewongun

Seo Yu-jin, 54, chairwoman of Seokpa Cultural Foundation, wore a graceful purple “hanbok,” Korean traditional dress, to the interview at Seokpajeong, Wednesday.

“Many think we rebuilt the house, but actually it is a result of endless effort to restore Seokpajeong to its golden age,” Seo said.

When Seo and her husband Ahn Byung-gwang, CEO of Union Pharmacy and founder of Seoul Museum, purchased Seokpajeong at 6.5 billion won eight years ago, it was nearly in ruins. “The house was not looked after very well. The roof was leaking and the wood was rotten,” Seo said. “It was sad to see the house with such rich history been neglected.”

Colorful silk decorates a wall of “sarangchae,” or male quarter.

It took about four and a half years to get permission to repair the house since it is designated as Seoul City Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 26, but Seo and Ahn did a fine job in reviving the historical work.

The history of Seokpajeong dates back to the 18th century, according to the engravings on Sosu Unryeonam, which contributes the site to Jo Jeong-man, a high-ranking official during Joseon’s 19th King Sukjong. Then in the late Joseon Kingdom, chief state councilor Kim Heung-geun owned the house during the reign of King Cheoljong and King Gojong.

An archway and stone steps leading to a detached building, where King Gojong is said to have stayed when he visited his father Heungseon Daewongun.

Heungseon Daewongun, father of King Gojong, liked Seokpajeong and asked Kim to sell the house, but Kim rejected the idea. Heungseon Daewongun used his wits and requested a night’s stay instead and invited his son, the king. In Joseon, vassals could not live in the house where his king stayed and Kim had to offer the house to the king, which was gladly taken by Heungseon Daewongun. Writings on the main frame of “sarangchae,” or male quarter of the house, found during the restoration confirmed that the current building was built by Heungseon Daewongun in 1872.

“Heungseon Daewongun must have liked the site and scenery, but he might have meant to dampen the spirit of aristocrats led by Kim,” Seo explicated.

Interior of sarangchae

Lee Se-young, director of Seokpa Cultural Center and expert in Korean-style architecture, said Seokpajeong is one of the finest examples of an aristocrat’s house left in Seoul. He said though this house was a private residence, it has many characteristics of palatial architecture, proving Heungseon Daewongun’s influence.

“There were originally seven buildings, but only four of them, including a pavilion, are left. Luckily, we had enough historical evidence to restore the building to its original state,” Lee said.

According to Lee, about 80 percent of materials used for the current Seokpajeong are original. “We replaced pillars of the main building and a few rafters of all buildings, but tried to conserve the original as much as possible. When you look at them closely, the ones with dark brown pattern are the original and lighter colored ones are new additions,” he said.

Seo Yu-jin, chairwoman of Seokpa Cultural Foundation. / Korea Times photos by Shim Hyun-chul

The patterns are residues of varnish. “We had to sand down the old varnish to let the wood breathe, but usual sandpaper might harm the original material. So we used corn flour instead, which is the first time in Korea,” Lee said.

Thanks to the restoration team, the rafters and pillars now show off their genuine color, which was hidden under the varnish for decades.

Replacing materials was not easy either. Lee and his team had to travel the nation for three months to find the proper tree to substitute the ridgepole of this 140-year-old house and finally found the right lumber of over 100 years old.

Though not open to the public yet, the interior of Seokpajeong is fully loaded, reminiscence of the time when the house was at its peak.

A view of Seokpajeong. On the left is sarangchae, right is “anchae,” or the main building, and the detached house is behind anchae.

Seo interpreted Joseon’s royal taste with a modern touch. She made tables from centuries-old trees and cushions with fabrics weaved in a royal style. She decorated walls with colorful brocade, which was used for high-quality hanbok. The window screen is made from ramie fabric, which was popular for summer clothes.

“I imagined what this place was like more than 100 years ago, when numerous guests visited this house to meet Heungseon Daewongun,” Seo said. “I want guests to have a feel of the palace-like atmosphere of Seokpajeong.”

A public opening of the buildings’ inside has not yet been decided, but Seo hopes to introduce the artistry behind the upper class house from the Joseon Kingdom.

“Seokpajeong is a masterpiece of Korean traditional architecture on a geomantic propitious site. I wish to make this place as a space of culture and share this beautiful building with more people, so they can feel the spirit of our ancestors,” Seo said. “It is better to learn history from experience, instead of from the books, isn’t it?”

Seokpajeong opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admittance to Seokpajeong and Seoul Museum is 7,000 won for adults and 5,000 won for students. Currently Moon Bong-sun’s “Pine Tree: Looking Ahead 1,000 Years” and Korean modern art exhibit “Deep & Wide” is underway at Seoul Museum.

For more information, visit www.seoulmuseum.org or call (02) 395-0100. <The Korea Times/Kwon Mee-yoo>