<Essay> Baek In-je House
The Collective Beauty of Urban Hanok
By Lee Kwan-jick (writing and drawing)
In the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul’s residential landscape was divided into two distinct areas: Bukchon (“north village”) and Namchon (“south village”). Bukchon, located between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces in today’s Gahoe-dong area of Jongno-gu, was home to high-ranking officials and noble families. Namchon, stretching south of Cheonggyecheon Stream toward the northern slope of Namsan in Pildong, was inhabited mainly by lower-ranking officials, shop clerks, provincial scholars preparing for state exams, and fallen aristocrats.
During the Japanese colonial period, the social geography of these districts was reversed. Namchon became a bustling commercial hub as Japanese settlers moved in, while Bukchon fell into decline. In the 1920s and 1930s, as Gyeongseong (colonial Seoul) expanded and urbanized, the city’s road network was reorganized: the traditional “T”-shaped layout connecting Gyeongbokgung and Jongno was replaced by a grid system, and a new road was cut through the axis linking Changdeokgung and Jongmyo. Ironically, this road that severed the spatial order of Joseon was later named Yulgok-ro in 1966.
As modern lifestyles and new construction methods spread, Westernand Japanese-style houses began to appear. Traditional Korean dwellings came to be seen as outdated, and modern architects experimented with hybrid residential models called “healthy houses,” “improved houses,” or “cultural houses.” Construction companies bought large plots and wooded areas within the old city, divided them into alleys, and built small-scale homes for sale. Among the most notable figures was Jeong Segwon, a nationalist builder and founder of Gonyeongsa, who developed the so-called “Joseon Houses.” He built numerous compact hanok-style homes in
areas such as Gahoe-dong, Samcheongdong, Ikseon-dong, Seongbuk-dong, and Hyehwa-dong. Many of these houses still survive today in pockets untouched by redevelopment.
These small-scale urban hanok differed from the grand aristocratic mansions of earlier times. Typically arranged in a compact “ﾧ” (U) or “ﾱ” (square) layout with a small central courtyard, they are sometimes compared to Beijing’s Siheyuan courtyard houses. However, while Siheyuan typically share brick walls and continuous roofs between neighboring homes, Korean hanok stand
independently on their own plots, with walls made of timber posts and earth infill. The eaves of adjacent roofs face each other, only 30 to 60 centimeters apart, yet retain elegance through
double-eaved roofs that express dignity in a limited space.
Over the past two decades, hanok architecture has seen a revival. As their aesthetic and spatial charm have been rediscovered, many hanok have been adapted into guesthouses, cafés, craft
studios, and shops. Provincial hanok villages in Jeonju, Gyeongju, Naju, and Gunsan have become popular destinations for visitors seeking calm and tradition. In Seoul, the city designated eight scenic sites—the “Eight Views of Bukchon”—encompassing Wonseodong, Gye-dong, Jae-dong, Gahoe-dong, Anguk-dong, and Samcheong-dong. The tightly clustered, overlapping rooftops that line the sloping alleys create one of Seoul’s most distinctive urban landscapes.
Among Bukchon’s many hanok, the Baek In-je House stands as a prominent example of an upper-class urban residence. Built in 1913 by Han Sangryong, a nephew of the pro-Japanese figure Yi Wan-yong, the house predates the boom of urban hanok construction by a decade. It was later purchased by Choi Ik-seon, a wealthy businessman from Gaeseong, and in 1944, after liberation,
it became the home of Dr. Baek In-je, a surgeon and independence activist. After remaining in private hands for decades, the house was acquired by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2009 and opened to the public in 2015.
The Baek In-je House consists of an anchae (women’s quarters), sarangchae (men’s quarters), jungmunganchae (inner gate quarters), daemunganchae (main gate quarters), a detached building, and an annex—representing the architectural style of a noble household in central Korea. While rooted in tradition, it also reflects modern adaptations for convenience. The sarangchae features four rooms and a main hall connected to the anchae by a wooden porch. The anchae aligns its kitchen, main room, central hall, and side room in a single line, while the detached quarters occupy the northwest corner of the rear garden. The sarangchae includes a second floor with tatami flooring—an influence of Japanese style—but the overall harmony of the hanok remains intact. Glass doors and enclosed corridors evoke Japanese aesthetics, while the decorative brick hwabang wall between the anchae and sarangchae incorporates samtaegeuk motifs—three swirling shapes symbolizing balance and movement. Though sometimes mistaken for Japanese symbols, the samtaegeuk originated in ancient Korean kingdoms such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, and later influenced Japanese art. The same motif inspired the emblem of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
After the Imjin War (1592–1598),
hanok architecture developed under the influence of Neo-Confucianism, the state ideology of Joseon. The Confucian “Five Relationships” (between ruler and
subject, parent and child, husband and wife, elder and younger, and between friends) defined social order and shaped architectural space. Hanok layouts reflected these hierarchies by organizing
buildings along changes in topography and through a clear spatial order. The outer courtyard, open to the street, sits at ground level, while the inner courtyard is raised on stone terraces, marking a transition to more private
family spaces. Passing through the gate into the main courtyard, one encounters the daecheongmaru, the open wooden hall that serves as the symbolic heart of the house. The modular spatial unit called a kan (間)—the distance between columns—functions as both a structural and aesthetic principle, allowing flexible expansion of rooms and halls. Repeated roof tiles and gracefully curved eaves create rhythm and lightness, giving the heavy tiled roof the appearance of floating wings supported by slender columns.
Cities evolve with time, as owners change and landscapes shift. The hanok of Bukchon endure as living witnesses to these transformations, embodying harmony between tradition and modernity. Today, new hanok districts such as Eunpyeong Hanok Village reinterpret traditional design for
contemporary living. Moving beyond the grand estates of the Joseon elite or the compact hanok of the colonial era, the hanok has become a hybrid architectural language—balancing restoration and innovation. With a deep respect for heritage and context, hanok architecture continues to evolve, offering a timeless model for sustainable coexistence between nature, tradition, and the
modern city.
_Magazine Hanok N.44
<Essay> Baek In-je House
The Collective Beauty of Urban Hanok
By Lee Kwan-jick (writing and drawing)
In the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul’s residential landscape was divided into two distinct areas: Bukchon (“north village”) and Namchon (“south village”). Bukchon, located between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces in today’s Gahoe-dong area of Jongno-gu, was home to high-ranking officials and noble families. Namchon, stretching south of Cheonggyecheon Stream toward the northern slope of Namsan in Pildong, was inhabited mainly by lower-ranking officials, shop clerks, provincial scholars preparing for state exams, and fallen aristocrats.
During the Japanese colonial period, the social geography of these districts was reversed. Namchon became a bustling commercial hub as Japanese settlers moved in, while Bukchon fell into decline. In the 1920s and 1930s, as Gyeongseong (colonial Seoul) expanded and urbanized, the city’s road network was reorganized: the traditional “T”-shaped layout connecting Gyeongbokgung and Jongno was replaced by a grid system, and a new road was cut through the axis linking Changdeokgung and Jongmyo. Ironically, this road that severed the spatial order of Joseon was later named Yulgok-ro in 1966.
As modern lifestyles and new construction methods spread, Westernand Japanese-style houses began to appear. Traditional Korean dwellings came to be seen as outdated, and modern architects experimented with hybrid residential models called “healthy houses,” “improved houses,” or “cultural houses.” Construction companies bought large plots and wooded areas within the old city, divided them into alleys, and built small-scale homes for sale. Among the most notable figures was Jeong Segwon, a nationalist builder and founder of Gonyeongsa, who developed the so-called “Joseon Houses.” He built numerous compact hanok-style homes in
areas such as Gahoe-dong, Samcheongdong, Ikseon-dong, Seongbuk-dong, and Hyehwa-dong. Many of these houses still survive today in pockets untouched by redevelopment.
These small-scale urban hanok differed from the grand aristocratic mansions of earlier times. Typically arranged in a compact “ﾧ” (U) or “ﾱ” (square) layout with a small central courtyard, they are sometimes compared to Beijing’s Siheyuan courtyard houses. However, while Siheyuan typically share brick walls and continuous roofs between neighboring homes, Korean hanok stand
independently on their own plots, with walls made of timber posts and earth infill. The eaves of adjacent roofs face each other, only 30 to 60 centimeters apart, yet retain elegance through
double-eaved roofs that express dignity in a limited space.
Over the past two decades, hanok architecture has seen a revival. As their aesthetic and spatial charm have been rediscovered, many hanok have been adapted into guesthouses, cafés, craft
studios, and shops. Provincial hanok villages in Jeonju, Gyeongju, Naju, and Gunsan have become popular destinations for visitors seeking calm and tradition. In Seoul, the city designated eight scenic sites—the “Eight Views of Bukchon”—encompassing Wonseodong, Gye-dong, Jae-dong, Gahoe-dong, Anguk-dong, and Samcheong-dong. The tightly clustered, overlapping rooftops that line the sloping alleys create one of Seoul’s most distinctive urban landscapes.
Among Bukchon’s many hanok, the Baek In-je House stands as a prominent example of an upper-class urban residence. Built in 1913 by Han Sangryong, a nephew of the pro-Japanese figure Yi Wan-yong, the house predates the boom of urban hanok construction by a decade. It was later purchased by Choi Ik-seon, a wealthy businessman from Gaeseong, and in 1944, after liberation,
it became the home of Dr. Baek In-je, a surgeon and independence activist. After remaining in private hands for decades, the house was acquired by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2009 and opened to the public in 2015.
The Baek In-je House consists of an anchae (women’s quarters), sarangchae (men’s quarters), jungmunganchae (inner gate quarters), daemunganchae (main gate quarters), a detached building, and an annex—representing the architectural style of a noble household in central Korea. While rooted in tradition, it also reflects modern adaptations for convenience. The sarangchae features four rooms and a main hall connected to the anchae by a wooden porch. The anchae aligns its kitchen, main room, central hall, and side room in a single line, while the detached quarters occupy the northwest corner of the rear garden. The sarangchae includes a second floor with tatami flooring—an influence of Japanese style—but the overall harmony of the hanok remains intact. Glass doors and enclosed corridors evoke Japanese aesthetics, while the decorative brick hwabang wall between the anchae and sarangchae incorporates samtaegeuk motifs—three swirling shapes symbolizing balance and movement. Though sometimes mistaken for Japanese symbols, the samtaegeuk originated in ancient Korean kingdoms such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, and later influenced Japanese art. The same motif inspired the emblem of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
After the Imjin War (1592–1598),
hanok architecture developed under the influence of Neo-Confucianism, the state ideology of Joseon. The Confucian “Five Relationships” (between ruler and
subject, parent and child, husband and wife, elder and younger, and between friends) defined social order and shaped architectural space. Hanok layouts reflected these hierarchies by organizing
buildings along changes in topography and through a clear spatial order. The outer courtyard, open to the street, sits at ground level, while the inner courtyard is raised on stone terraces, marking a transition to more private
family spaces. Passing through the gate into the main courtyard, one encounters the daecheongmaru, the open wooden hall that serves as the symbolic heart of the house. The modular spatial unit called a kan (間)—the distance between columns—functions as both a structural and aesthetic principle, allowing flexible expansion of rooms and halls. Repeated roof tiles and gracefully curved eaves create rhythm and lightness, giving the heavy tiled roof the appearance of floating wings supported by slender columns.
Cities evolve with time, as owners change and landscapes shift. The hanok of Bukchon endure as living witnesses to these transformations, embodying harmony between tradition and modernity. Today, new hanok districts such as Eunpyeong Hanok Village reinterpret traditional design for
contemporary living. Moving beyond the grand estates of the Joseon elite or the compact hanok of the colonial era, the hanok has become a hybrid architectural language—balancing restoration and innovation. With a deep respect for heritage and context, hanok architecture continues to evolve, offering a timeless model for sustainable coexistence between nature, tradition, and the
modern city.
_Magazine Hanok N.44