All throughout May, WTOP is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with stories about the people and places shaping the D.C. region.
Nestled in D.C.’s historic Logan Circle neighborhood is the Old Korean Legation Museum, a 19th-century building that holds immense historical significance.
It symbolizes the early diplomatic relationship between Korea and the United States, and its preservation serves as a reminder of the enduring friendship between the two nations.
“It gives a sense of pride to a lot of Korean Americans living in Washington D.C. and in the United States,” said Michelle Cho, the museum’s public relations manager.
The building was first constructed in 1877 as the residence of Seth Ledyard Phelps, who was a Civil War veteran, politician and diplomat.
Not long after, in 1889, it became the Korean Legation, which is another way of saying it was a diplomatic representative office, similar to an embassy.
“That was the first moment where the friendship between the two nations occurred,” Cho said.
The Korean government officially purchased the building in 1891 and used it for active diplomacy until Japan deprived the Korean Empire of its diplomatic sovereignty in 1905.
In 1910, the Japanese government purchased the building and immediately sold it to an American buyer, and it stayed in private hands for decades.
It wasn’t until 2012 that it returned to Korean ownership when it was purchased by the Cultural Heritage Administration, an agency of the South Korean government charged with preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage.
“The joy that comes in my work is actually seeing younger students come in and learn about the history,” Cho said. “I think what they really do enjoy is just seeing the Korean flag, because seeing that flag is quite rare in America.”
“When they enter the museum and they see that flag, I think there is an emotional shift that happens that I can actually witness,” Cho added.
The Korean government and several affiliated organizations have conducted a massive restoration in recent years. Much of that work was based on historical research, including photographs that were taken inside the building back in 1893.
“It was just black and white photographs, but there were captions,” Cho explained. “They were able to understand the color scheme as well as the popular interior decorations at the time.”
Cho said her favorite room in the building is the minister’s bedroom.
“It’s my favorite room because it has this really grand window space,” Cho said. “I like to think that this is the view they would have seen back in the day.”
The museum does not accept walk-in visitors, but tours can be booked online.
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