Wikipedia
The Yeongeunmun (literally "welcoming gate for obligation") was a historical gate located in present Hyeonjeo-dong, Seodaemun-gu, in the northwestern part of Seoul, South Korea. It was built in front of Mohwagwan ( hangul: 모화관, hanja: ) during the Joseon Dynasty where envoys dispatched from Ming and Qing China were received as diplomatic guests.
In 1896, the gate was demolished along with Mohwagwan one year after the First Sino-Japanese War ended, which was a war between China and Japan primarily for the control over Korea. The Korean independence activist Seo Jae-pil (known as Philip Jaisohn) built the Independence Gate on the site with the desire towards inspiring the spirit of independence in Korea.