Provisional Capital Memorial Hall

When the Korean War forced the government out of Seoul, it made Busan its provisional capital. The Provisional Capital Memorial Hall in Bumin-dong, Seo-gu, is the residence where President Syngman Rhee lived and worked during those years, furnished to look as it did at the time. What makes it memorable is that wartime decisions were taken not in a palace but in a modest two-storey house.

History: from governor's residence to presidential residence

The house was completed on 10 August 1926 as the official residence of the governor of South Gyeongsang Province, built after the provincial government moved from Jinju to Busan in 1925. When war broke out in 1950 and Busan became the provisional capital, it served as the presidential residence from 18 August 1950 to 15 August 1953. After the government returned to Seoul it went back to being the governor's residence.

In 1983 the provincial government moved to Changwon, and on 25 June 1984, the anniversary of the outbreak of the war, the house reopened as the Provisional Capital Memorial Hall. The residence was restored in 2000–2001, and in 2012 a former residence of the chief prosecutor of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office, just behind it, was converted into an exhibition hall. In 2018 the residence was designated a national Historic Site as the Presidential Residence of the Provisional Capital in Busan.

Why this house matters

During the provisional-capital years the residence was both the president's home and his office. Important decisions on defence, politics and diplomacy were made here in wartime, and because the building keeps much of its original appearance it is valued both historically and architecturally. Picture this modest house alongside Busan's hillside neighbourhoods packed with refugees, and wartime Busan comes vividly to life.

What to see

• Residence, ground floor: The reception room, study, private quarters, living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom are recreated as they were. What strikes most visitors is how simple the spaces used by the president, his wife and their staff were.
• Residence, upper floor: The presidential office, with the desk and chair Rhee used and a folding screen bearing one of his poems.
• Exhibition hall: A brick building with one floor above ground and one below, covering the outbreak of the war, refugee life and the politics, economy and culture of Busan as provisional capital through photos and objects.
• Garden: The red-brick porch and well-kept garden are a pleasant place to sit for a moment.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 09:00–18:00, free admission. Closed every Monday (the following day if Monday is a public holiday) and on 1 January.
• Guided talks: Volunteer guides give commentary in Korean at the residence. Check the times on site or by phone (+82 51-244-6345).
• Time needed: Allow about an hour for the residence and exhibition hall.
• Getting there: Walk from Exit 2 of Toseong Station on Busan Metro Line 1. By car, enter via the road between Bumin Church and the post office.
• Combine with: Gamcheon Culture Village and Gukje Market are each about 1 km away, which makes it easy to follow the traces of wartime Busan in a single day.
• Online preview: The memorial hall's website offers an online exhibition and a street-view tour, so you can look around before you go. Groups can book a guided talk in advance.