[KS] Independence Gate (Tongnipmun) during Japanese Colonial Rule?

[Cedar Bough Blomberg]

Mark, highly unlikely the gate was inscribed with Chinese characters
cause the Chinese would see it.  More likely that it was inscribed in
that way because that's how inscriptions on things like gates and
above doors have been and still are generally written in Korea. Don't
read too much into it.  At the time the gate was inscribed I'd imagine
they wrote it that in Chinese (on one side) out of both custom and a
desire to have it readable to the greatest number of people (as
literacy in Chinese characters, especially common ones like those on
the gate) was much higher than it is now, and the Hangeul movements by
people like 최현배 (Choi Hyunbae) hadn't made much nationwide progress
yet.