The Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall is a significant architectural and historical site located on the slopes of Namsan Park in Seoul, South Korea. It was built to honor Ahn Jung-geun (1879–1910), a celebrated Korean independence activist and martyr.
Ahn Jung-geun is revered for his patriotic act of assassinating Itō Hirobumi, the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea, in Harbin, China, in 1909. This act was a defiant stand against Japan’s increasing colonial aggression toward Korea. Ahn was subsequently executed in 1910.
The modern memorial hall, which opened in 2010 to mark the centenary of his death, was designed by D. Lim Architects. Its structure is highly symbolic, composed of 12 massive columns sinking into the ground, representing the 12 members of Ahn’s secret patriotic society, the Dongeui Danjihoe. The use of translucent walls helps the building blend into the natural park setting.
The exhibitions inside chronicle Ahn’s life, his ideology focusing on peace in East Asia, and the broader Korean independence movement, making it a poignant site for understanding a crucial period in Korean history. Admission to the hall is typically free.
