By Reporter Kim Ji Eun
Myeongjin Hall is the first building constructed on the Dongguk University campus (built in 1958) and was designed by Song Min-gu, one of Korea's leading modern architects.
The building consists of one basement level and five above-ground levels, with a modern interior and a Tudor-Gothic exterior finished with stonework. The central five-story tower features Gothic elements such as buttresses, but the left and right exteriors are simplified with stone masonry and polished stone windows. The left and right ends of the building feature gabled roofs, with a gentle slope. The interior space is currently used for lecture halls, laboratories, and other facilities for the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science and Technology. It has been renovated to function as a modern space while maintaining its original circular design.
Myeongjin Hall was established by the Buddhist Research Society in 1902, founded by several monks who oversaw temples throughout the country outside Dongdae Myeongjin School, the first modern educational institution in the Buddhist community, with patriotic poet Han Yong-un, writer Seo Jeong-ju, and poet Kim Dal-jin, who founded the literary magazine Sidonginji, among the school's graduates. After being renamed as a Buddhist Teacher's College in 1910, it was elevated to Buddhist Central College, Buddhist Preaching School, and HyeHwa Specialized College, and was finally promoted to Dongguk University in 1946.
Following its departure from HyeHwa-dong, the campus opened on the slopes of Namsan Mountain in Pildong, and Myeongjin Hall was the first building constructed on the new campus. Designed by renowned Korean architect Song Min-gu (1920-2010), the building was completed in 1958 at a cost of 250 million won, which was a significant construction cost at the time. It was completed with material support from the US Eighth Army's transportation unit and student donations. Myeongjin Hall features a Tudor-style Gothic design with a simplified exterior, and a central four-story tower with symmetrically arranged wings.
Experts explain that the emphasis on the central symmetry of the building and the stonework finish of the exterior effectively express the symbolism of the university's main building at the time. Although it is currently known as Myeongjin Hall, it still represents the symbolism of the university's main building and has been well-preserved even after 60 years, making it a valuable example of modern architecture in Korea.