Standing in front of Gwanghwamun Gate, main entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace, one might get the feeling of standing before an ancient monument with the nation’s hard-fought struggle built into its doors—a structure that’s survived centuries of conflict on the Peninsula. In a sense, such an impression isn’t entirely inaccurate, for Seoul’s most famous gate certainly represents hundreds of years of Joseon history, but it has also undergone several transformations throughout the country’s tumultuous past. Though not formally named Gwanghwamun until 1425, the three-door entryway was originally built in 1395, with the large middle entrance designed to be used by the king himself. It was burned down during the Japanese invasions of the Imjin War (1592–98) and was left in ruins for over 270 years. The gate was then reconstructed in 1864 before being dismantled and moved in 1927 during the Japanese colonial period; the Korean War (1950–53) then destroyed the gate entirely. A concrete restoration was constructed in 1968, but its latest restoration—designed to remain as faithful as possible to the original gate—wasn’t completed until 2010. Similarly, the square that sits in front, Gwanghwamun Plaza, wasn’t finished until July 2009. The plaza was built to turn Sejong-ro from a car-centric boulevard into a scenic area designed for pedestrians, downsizing the massive street from 16 lanes to 10. Aside from statues of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a Korean naval hero, and King Sejong the Great, the creator of Hangeul, the plaza offers a giant grass pavilion, fountains where children often play to cool off and waterways that were designed to appear as extensions of nearby Cheonggyecheon Stream. If the fountains aren’t enough to give you respite from the heat, try hopping into King Sejong Exhibition Hall next to the plaza. It’s a free museum where you can learn about why the king is so revered by Koreans. The Ilmin Museum of Art