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A Walk into Yonsei History
A Walk into Yonsei History

Take a virtual tour of Underwood Memorial House

Underwood Memorial House

If you’ve walked around the Yonsei University Sinchon campus in Seoul, Korea, you would have come across the iconic statue of a man with outstretched arms. The statue is of Horace G. Underwood, the founder of Yonsei University and a well-known figure by many Koreans due to his contributions to Korea over three decades. We visited the Underwood Memorial House to learn a bit more about the history of Horace G. Underwood and get a glimpse into the contributions made by the Underwood family.


The Underwood Memorial House was built in 1927 by Dr. Horace Horton Underwood, the son of Horace G. Underwood. It was home to the Underwood family for nearly 50 years before being donated to Yonsei University in 1974 to be used as a space to commemorate the Underwood family.


Statue of Horace G. Underwood, founder of Yonsei University


The building itself is tucked away in a quiet spot near the main campus, in a scenic nature spot. Visitors can find the location by following the video (in Korean) of the walking path to the House below.



Upon arrival at Underwood Memorial House, visitors are requested to change into slippers provided before entering, probably to avoid dirtying or damaging the space. Although the building has three stories, the exhibition itself spans two stories, with the attic converted into an area for kids, with chairs and beanbags provided for those who want to rest for a bit.



The first room of the exhibition, the Horace Horton Underwood Room, shows the original state of his office, restored based on the historical research by Dr. Won Il-Han.



The exhibition houses various artifacts and photos, with detailed explanations into the history of the contributions of the various members from the Underwood family in the fields of medicine, education and public service. The following are some photos taken from the exhibition.








These photos offer but a glimpse into the rich historical information being showcased at the memorial house. We encourage visitors and members of the Yonsei community to drop by the exhibition to learn about the history of Yonsei University as well as the Underwood family who dedicated much of their lives to Korea.



The hall was re-opened earlier this year in May following repair work after a fire damaged the property. You can visit the memorial hall on Mondays to Saturdays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, except on public holidays. Entry is free. You can also make prior reservations for group visits.



<Originally published on October 1, 2018>

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