3 Seoul Historical Buildings Honoring Heroes of National Liberation

To mark the 80th anniversary of national liberation, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs designated "Korea Memorial Road" on March 17 — a pilgrimage route for military veterans connecting historical sites and attractions that reflect the nation's spirit of independence. Seoul has three such routes, and the following three venues on the second route let visitors feel the struggle and dedication of the country's independence activists.

Dilkusha: Home of the American Expat Who Loved Korea

Address: 17, Sajik-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu District, Seoul

On a hill in Seoul's Jongno-gu District stands the quaint red-brick house Dilkusha, a Persian term meaning "heart's delight." It was built in 1924 by American expat Albert W. Taylor and his wife Mary.

Taylor was a mining supervisor and correspondent for The Associated Press, reporting to the world the funeral of Emperor Gojong, the March First Independence Movement and the Jeamri Massacre — in which 20 civilians died inside a church after Japanese troops and police trapped them and set it on fire, while another 30 homes burned down.

The Taylors' son Bruce was born on Feb. 28, 1919, the day before the independence movement erupted. The father accidentally found copies of the Korean Declaration of Independence hidden in his baby's hospital bedsheet. Taylor wrote an article about this and gave the declaration copies to his brother William, who hid them in his shoes while traveling to Japan and later sent them to the U.S. This was how the world learned of the movement.

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When the Pacific theater of World War II broke out in 1941 and U.S.-Japan ties worsened, the Japanese Government-General of Korea expelled several American expats in 1942, including the Taylors, as citizens of an enemy country. Because his life was in Korea, Taylor tried many times to return but died suddenly of a heart attack in June 1948. His widow buried his remains in September that year at Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Seoul's Mapo-gu District.

Today, Dilkusha is a permanent exhibition venue for the Taylor family and their contributions to the independence movement.

Lee Hoe-young Memorial: Six Brothers Who Exchanged Riches for Independence

Address: 15, Sajik-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu District, Seoul

The Lee Hoe-young Memorial honors the six Lee brothers — Gun-young, Seok-young, Cheol-young, Hoe-young, Si-young and Ho-young — who gave up all their assets to dedicate themselves to regaining national independence after Korea lost its sovereignty.

Born into one of the country's most prestigious and affluent families, the siblings sold all their properties after Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and headed to Manchuria, China. Their rush to sell meant they did not get market value, and they left behind whatever they failed to sell.

They raised KRW 400,000 at the time — worth about KRW 60 billion today, or KRW 2 trillion had they received market value for their assets.

With the money, the brothers built the Shinheung Training Center (later renamed Shinheung Military Academy) in Manchuria, training about 3,500 liberation fighters over 10 years. Graduates included those who led victories against imperial Japanese forces at the battles of Fengwudong and Qingshanli in 1920.

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The school closed that year due to Japanese oppression and financial difficulties. The Lee family paid operating costs and student living expenses, but eventually the money ran out, leaving the brothers so destitute they could barely afford corn porridge.

Lee Hoe-young, who planned the assassination of the Japanese military commander, was caught and tortured to death in prison. Eldest brother Gun-young and third brother Cheol-young died of disease, second brother Seok-young of starvation, and youngest brother Ho-young and his family went missing. Only the fifth brother Si-young survived and returned to Korea after independence.

Gyeonggyojang: Last Building of the Korean Provisional Government

Address: 29, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu District, Seoul

This Western classical-style mansion stands out among the modern hospital buildings in the area. Gyeonggyojang was the last headquarters of the Korean Provisional Government (KPG) after national liberation, and where its head Kim Gu (Koo) was assassinated.

Named Jukcheomjang upon its completion in 1938 after former Japanese diplomat Takezoe Shinichiro (whose surname is pronounced "Jukcheom" in Korean), the building was home to pro-Japanese collaborator Choi Chang-hak, who grew wealthy through mining. After Korea gained independence in 1945, Choi offered Kim temporary residence after the latter's return from Chongqing, China.

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Kim renamed the building Gyeonggyojang, which served as KPG headquarters. After the launch of the KPG's state council, it became the main venue to protest the trusteeship of the Korean Peninsula by the Soviet Union and the U.S.

Kim, who long sought a unified government, was assassinated on June 26, 1949, at this building by Republic of Korea Army Lt. Ahn Doo-hee. Gyeonggyojang is now a historical exhibition venue.