Century-old Hanok to Become the Official Residence of Seoul's Mayor

Published on 2013/01/26 | Source

View from the courtyard inside the House of Baek In-je. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/U5Byv9

Korea's president may have the majestic Blue House, but Seoul's mayor will be living in a rather stately official residence as well. It was announced recently that Mayor Won-soon Park will move into the 100-year-old House of Baek In-je, a unique and beautiful hanok, or Korean traditional house.

The hanok got its name from one of its famous residents, Doctor Baek In-je. Baek was the physician responsible for founding Inje University Paik Hospital and is widely admired for advancing Korea's medical research.

The House of Baek In-je's unusual architecture also sets it apart from the other buildings in Bukchon, an area of Seoul known for having a large number of traditional houses. A hanok usually has only one floor, but the House of Baek In-je has two floors. Also unusual for a hanok, the women's quarters and men's quarters of the House of Baek In-je are connected by a hallway instead of being completely separated. This would have scandalized Confucian sensibilities back in ancient Korean times.

The House of Baek In-je is due for some careful renovations before the mayor moves in. According to the mayor's office, the men's quarters will be made suitable to use as a reception hall for guests and the garden will be used for parties. The women's quarters will be turned into the mayor's office and living area. The sophisticated and historic architecture of the House of Baek In-je will be a sure-fire conversation starter for guests visiting the mayor.

Hopefully, the mayor will be able to enjoy one of my favorite aspects of Korean traditional homes: ondol. Ondol is a heating system that warms the floors of a home during the wintertime and it's a technology that even modern Korean homes have adopted.

The House of Baek In-je, dusted in snow. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/VuDayD

About the author by Anna Sohn

I'm a New Jersey girl with a lifelong fascination with Korea, my motherland. In 2011, I moved to Seoul and I've enjoyed living in this wired and fast-paced city ever since. I'm excited to share the latest tech and design developments I encounter in Korea and hope you enjoy the AT&D blog as much I enjoy writing for it!

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