Former Jeil Bank Bonjeom

This is the head office building of Jeil Bank, built with the aim of serving as a temple of finance for ordinary people. Following Korea's first international design competition for a building, held in 1913, it was constructed between 1933 and 1935. It suffered no damage during the Korean War and retains its original appearance intact. With one basement level and five storeys above ground, it was the first bank building in Korea to use a steel-frame and reinforced-concrete structure, and it was finished with Korean granite. The floral plaster relief on the ceiling of the banking hall is regarded as a masterpiece of modern architectural style. Overall, the building displays the well-proportioned, ornate yet refined form typical of the Neo-Baroque style. Through the upheavals of the Japanese colonial period and the early years of national founding, up to the recent era of rapid economic growth, it has stood for half a century as a monumental building marking a chapter in the history of Korean finance.

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Where it is

Region

Jung-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산