[KS] Government General Museum

[Brother Anthony]

There was, indeed, a splendid western-style building beside the Gyeongcheonsa pagoda in the grounds of Gyongbok-gung until it was demolished as sacriligeous in 1995. It was built as the Government-General Museum in 1915-6 on the site of the Crown Prince's Quarters that had been taken to Japan by ?kura Kihachir? to be part of his private museum (the buildings were then destroyed during the 1923 earthquake, the remaining stones were returned in 1995). Two photos of it in older days can be seen at http://architecture.kunsan.ac.kr/blog/songsk/category    and I think that the lower of the 2 (undated) shows the foundation and top of the Gyeongcheonsa pagoda standing in front of it, prior to the 1960 complete restoration. I am now wondering who or what knocked the top off the Wongak-sa Pagoda (in Pagoda Park) and who put it back when?  I know I have read it somewhere . . . Imjin times?

Brother Anthony
Sogang University etc