Amid many historical places in Seoul, Seodaemun Prison History Hall holds some of the heaviest memories in Korea’ modern history. Built in 1908, it became one of the most notorious prisons where countless independence-seeking activists were locked away, tortured and never returned home. Today, the prison is preserved as a museum, but it feels more like a memorial and a symbol of resistance. Some visitors say the air here feels colder and heavier in certain corners as if the past still lingers.

Seodaemun Prison is now visited by students, families and travelers who come to learn and connect with history. For many, it is a chance to see that modern Korea’s rapid development wasn’t just built on economics alone but also on the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom.

History of Seodaemun Prison and the March 1st Movement

Seodaemun Prison was built in 1908 during the final years of the Korean Empire and soon became one of the most infamous tools of Japanese colonial rule. Its darkest role deepened after the March 1st Movement in 1919, the largest nationwide nonviolent demonstration for independence from Japan. On that day, more than two million Koreans, including young students, filled the streets and risked their lives to declare Korea’s right to exist. The protests were brutally suppressed; thousands were killed and tens of thousands were arrested. Many of them were brought to this prison. During the Japan’s occupation of Korea (1910-1945), Seodaemun Prison stood as a place where activists, students, religious leaders and ordinary people who dared to resist were tortured and executed.

Explore Seodaemun Prison History Hall

■ Inside the prison walls

The prison complex is large, spanning from the main hall to basement cells and smaller buildings. Unlike many other museums, this place confronts visitors with a darker side of history that’s painful to face but impossible to ignore. Visitors can still step into the narrow cells where imprisoned activists once spent months or years. Photographs, diaries and records show the faces of those held here.

■ Faces of freedom fighters

Yu Gwan-sun, who at 16 helped organize demonstrations during the March 1st Movement, is one of the most respected figures held at Seodaemun Prison. The young mission school student grew up with a strong sense of dignity and conviction, and her courage never wavered despite being brutally beaten and tortured during her time at the prison. Yu continued to cry out for independence and held on to her faith until she died in 1920.

Walking through the National Resistance Room II filled with photographs of imprisoned independence fighters, I felt a heavy weight. Many were teenagers, half my age, who risked and lost their lives for a free Korea. Today, their peers worry about exams and friendships. It is easy to take freedom for granted when we live in a peaceful, democratic society. Standing inside these walls made me realize how much freedom cost. My ordinary routines like speaking my language freely and writing about Korea are all possible because someone before me was willing to fight against fear and oppression.

■ Interrogation chambers

One spot that visitors never miss is the underground interrogation chambers, which reveal how torture was used as a deliberate tool of colonial control. Japanese authorities used systematic violence to crush the spirit of resistance and instill fear, making their rule one of the harshest examples of colonial repression in modern history.

The displays show the actual tools used to torture prisoners. There are iron clubs for beatings, ropes and basins for water torture where victims were hung upside down, pliers that pulled out fingernails and spiked boxes that tore into prisoners as they were shaken inside. One of the common methods was skewer torture, where sharp sticks were pushed under fingernails or into teeth.

The museum also includes a model of the narrow torture room that visitors can step inside. This method forced prisoners into a tiny standing box where they could barely move, causing total physical collapse and extreme psychological trauma.

Many prisoners died due to the severe torture practiced at the prison. Even those who survived lived with permanent disabilities and trauma afterward.

■ A place where many lost souls dwell

In the backyard, there is an old execution building. Beside it is a hidden passage called the “Secret Corpse Passageway,” once used by guards to secretly remove the bodies of those who died under torture and execution. Today, this area is where visitors say they have experienced ghost sightings. Many visitors claim to have seen something or say the air feels different there. The tragedies that occurred here less than a century ago lend to a heavy atmosphere. However, what we remember here is not fear, but the spirit of courage, the dignity of those who refused to surrender and the reminder that freedom is never free.

The legacy of resistance

By the late 19th century, while Korea was beginning to open after a long period of isolation, Japan had already modernized and defeated Qing China (1894) and later Russia (1904), rising as the most powerful empire in Asia. To Koreans, the empire must have seemed unstoppable and terrifying. Resistance looked like trying to break a rock with an egg, fragile and doomed to shatter. Yet countless Koreans still gathered to shout for freedom, refusing to lose their national spirit. Their courage spread like fire and even in the darkest times the flame endured.

Korea’s liberation in 1945 came with Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War, but dismissing the independence movements as insignificant would be to miss their impact. The March 1st Movement ignited a flame that led to the Provisional Government in Shanghai, later becoming the foundation of today’s Republic of Korea. The Constitution affirms this spirit as part of the nation’s legitimacy.

March 1 is now celebrated as a national holiday to honor those who never gave up. That unbroken spirit planted the seed of Korea’s modern identity and proved that resistance was never in vain even when victory seemed impossible.

Today, Seodaemun Prison stands as a paradoxical place. Once it was the most feared prison, but now it is a symbol of courage against oppression. Visitors come to remember this dark history and the sacrifices made for freedom.

■ Foreign visitors

For foreign visitors, most exhibits include English text under Korean and some sections also provide Japanese and Chinese. The museum offers guided tours in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, but reservations must be made in advance online so please check the available schedule on their website. Even if you don’t join a tour, many exhibits feature QR codes that allow you to access a multilingual audio guide through your phone.

■ Families with children

Although the museum covers painful history, it is also a popular destination for families, school groups and even couples because of its strong educational value. Through photographs, videos and interactive displays, the museum retells the history and stories of those who were imprisoned here. Even many younger visitors find that the experience sparks meaningful conversations with their parents. Many teachers note that it helps their students appreciate what they have now and many even become more interested in historical topics afterward.

■ Best times to visit

Korea has two major national holidays, honoring the spirit of independence and liberation from Japan: March 1 (Independence Movement Day) and August 15 (Liberation Day). Around these dates, Seodaemun Prison hosts festivals that run for several days, making them the best times for families to visit. Admission is free for all visitors and many events take place, including ceremonies, reenactments and hands-on activities such as role-playing independence missions, creating miniature terrariums with the Korean flag and making bracelets or cookies.

USAG Yongsan

Camp Casey