[Photo News] PM Han at Dondeokjeon opening

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (second from right) and US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg (second from left) participate in a brushwork painting performance at the opening ceremony of Dondeokjeon in Seoul on Monday.

Dondeokjeon, a Western-style building at Deoksugung, opened to the public Tuesday following a six-year restoration. The building was once used as a royal guesthouse and venue for diplomatic events during the Korean Empire (1897-1910). The two-story structure, built between 1902 and 1903 during the reign of King Gojong to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his enthronement, was destroyed by the Japanese in the 1920s. The Japanese subsequently turned the palace and its grounds into a children's amusement park in the 1930s. (Yonhap)