Former Main Building of the Gunsan Customs

244-7 Haemang-ro, Gunsan-si, Jeonbuk-do

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The Former Main Building of the Gunsan Customs was completed before the start of Japanese colonial rule in 1908, making

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The customs office was responsible for inspecting and taxing goods entering and leaving Gunsan Port.

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As the port later became a key route for the export of rice and other resources during the colonial period, the site bea

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About this place

The Former Main Building of the Gunsan Customs was completed before the start of Japanese colonial rule in 1908, making it a modern government building established by Korea. The customs office was responsible for inspecting and taxing goods entering and leaving Gunsan Port. As the port later became a key route for the export of rice and other resources during the colonial period, the site bears witness to that history of exploitation. Designed by an unnamed German architect, the European-style building was constructed with bricks imported from Belgium. It features ornamental roof tiles, three pointed towers, a brick exterior, and a wooden interior. Its architectural style is similar to that of Seoul Station and the Bank of Korea headquarters. Planned in 1906 and completed on June 20, 1908, it served as the main building of Gunsan Customs office for 85 years until 1993, when a new building was constructed after the adjacent watchtower was demolished. Today, it operates as the Honam Customs Museum, showcasing materials related to customs history, including notable records, film appearances, former customs directors, and the 100-year history of Gunsan Customs.

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Audio Guide

Narrated commentary from Odii, Korea Tourism Organization's audio guide service

Gunsan Time Travel Village

203

Transcript

Time travel to the 1930s in Gunsan Do you know which Korean city still holds the sad history back in the 1930s? It's a harbor city, Gunsan. Gunsan had become a base of plundering crops cultivated and harvested from the Honam Plains by the Japanese. Buildings centering around the inner harbor of Gunsan built in the 1930s sill remain today, making Gunsan the city of modern history museum. Gunsan Time Village encompasses the inner port of Gunsan port to Impi Station through the Honam Customs Museum, which was the former Gunsan Customs, and Modern Architecture Museum, which used to be the Gunsan branch of Josen Bank. Tourist attractions are all close to each other, 10 to 20 minutes in walking distance, making it convenient to travel on foot. 1-km-long tour course connecting the parking lot to the Jinpo Marine Park has barrier-free pedestrian passages for the convenience of wheelchair users. You can check your route in advance with the braille and voice-type tourist information board by this barrier-free pathway. Gunsan Time Travel Village provides free rental service of unique bicycles for persons with and without disabilities to ride together. You can call the Gunsan City Tourism Promotion Division for more details. If you are ready, let's travel back in time. We will start off with the Gunsan Modern History Museum located at the end of the parking of the inner port of Gunsan. This museum features the Modern Life Hall, showing the life of Gunsan in the 1930s, Heroes of Independence Hall, and Marine Logistics History Hall. All entrances are barrier-free so that wheelchair users can enjoy the museum without any difficulty. The red western-style building located next to the museum is the former customs office. Built in European architectural style, the edifice is a marvel to look at. It was designated as a state-designated cultural property for its high historical value. Following the wide and straight Haemang-ro, you can see the Former Japanese 18th Bank. It was the local branch of a Japanese bank and the Gunsan branch of Joseon Bank, which appears in the epic novel The Muddy Current by the writer Chae Man-sik. We will end the tour after stopping by the Jinpo Marine Park, opened to commemorate the Jindodaecheop Battle, a victory of Jinpo in naval combat against Japanese forces led by General Choi Mu-seon during the Goryeo Dynasty. There are retired military crafts including landing vehicles tracked and F-86 jet fighter. Rest area in the park are equipped with chargers for electric wheelchairs and tables for wheelchair users for you to take a quick rest before ending the tour.