They're moving Gwanghwamun!

I took that photo about two weeks ago. Now they've totally encased Gwanghwamun - soon-to-be-demolished Gwanghwamun - behind obaque scaffolding, as you can see here.

I suppose it's not right to miss the old gate. It wasn't all that old, after all - unlike Namdaemun which dates from the 1400s, and Dongdaemun which was last rebuilt in the 1800s, Gwanghwamun in its present form is only a few decades old.

Now that they are tearing down and rebuilding the gate, they are taking this opportunity to remodel that whole area, which I welcome. The intersection at the northern end of Sejong-no can be a pain to cross on foot. Pedestrian access can only be improved, in my opinion. A few weeks ago someone from the city government came to my workplace and had me fill out a survey on what kind of improvements foreign residents wanted to see. I am under absolutely no delusion that my opinion will make a difference, but I picked my favorite plan for the remodeled street out of the four choices I was shown. Assuming it doesn't completely mess up traffic, I figure it will probably be an improvement.