History of Seoul - Korean Empire Period

Korean Empire Period

In the late 19th century, after hundreds of years of isolation, Seoul opened its gates to foreigners and began to modernize. Seoul became the first city in East Asia to have electricity, trolley cars, water, telephone, and telegraph systems all at the same time. Much of this was due to trade with foreign countries like France and United States. For example, the Seoul Electric Company, Seoul Electric Trolley Company, and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were all joint Korean-American owned enterprises. In 1904, an American by the name of Angus Hamilton visited the city and said, "The streets of Seoul are magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained. The narrow, dirty lanes have been widened, gutters have been covered, roadways broadened. Seoul is within measurable distance of becoming the highest, most interesting and cleanest city in the East.”

• Jongno Street of Seoul in 1905.

• Streetcar in Seoul during the Korean Empire (1903).

• Gwangtonggwan, the head office building of former Daehan Cheon-il Bank.

• Seokjojeon, Imperial palace.

• West Gate of Seoul in 1904.

• Taehan Hospital of Seoul during the Gwangmu Reform.