Seoul announces Outstanding Hanok honorees to carry on and advance the value of hanok
Support for small-scale repairs (up to KRW 3.5 million per year) and promotion through a photo book
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has completed the review for the 5th Seoul Outstanding Hanok certification and has certified 12 sites as “2020 Seoul Outstanding Hanok.” The Seoul Outstanding Hanok certification program has been carried out annually since 2016 to carry on and advance the intrinsic value of Seoul’s hanok, to foster an excellent hanok building environment, and to contribute to the popularization of hanok.
Selected through document review, on-site review, and final review by a review committee composed separately of hanok experts, this year’s Seoul Outstanding Hanok comprise 10 sites in Jongno-gu and 2 sites in Eunpyeong Hanok Village. They are recognized for showing how hanok have changed and developed while preserving their traditional character as everyday living spaces.
Ko Ju-hwan, chair of the review committee, stated in his review: “Seoul Outstanding Hanok retain the details of traditional hanok in their exterior framework structure (架構構造), windows, doors and the like, and embody the wisdom of creating and making use of an appropriately sized courtyard. Through the Outstanding Hanok certification process, they are contributing to the wider dissemination of traditional hanok as well as to quality assurance and advancement.”
Among the hanok selected as Outstanding Hanok, △ “Gyedong Hanok Cheongwon Sanbang” stands out for the typical appearance of a Bukchon hanok within an urban hanok, along with its various latticework doors and courtyard space in the manner of a traditional hanok, while △ “Pyeongchang-dong Hanok Pyeongsanjae,” a fine example of a 1950s Seoul hanok, was praised for its exterior form as well as, in particular, its rear garden.
△ “Gyeongun-dong Hanok Sieunjae” was highly rated for its well-preserved historical character as a Joseon-era hanok, a typical residence of the noble class near the palace, while “Tongui-dong Hanok Taejuheon” was praised for overcoming the constraints of a narrow lot and capturing the sensibility of a hanok through the organic connection of its spaces and the proportions of its members. △ Eunpyeong Hanok Village’s “Damseojae” was described as having an intricately composed wooden structure and evoking the atmosphere of hanok-like character both inside and out.
Gyeongun-dong Hanok Sieunjae
Yedong Hanok Cheongwon Sanbang
Pyeongchang-dong Hanok Pyeongsanjae