Public offices are places where a ruler’s policies and ordinances are carried out. As such, imperial powers consciously choose the location and style of its colonial offices to demonstrate its superiority over the colonized population and to coerce them into submission. The Japanese empire was no exception. Many public offices, such as the Government-General building (est. 1926), courthouses, provincial administration buildings, and city hall, were built in the 1920s. The new building of the Government-General was located in front of Gyeongbokgung, the main palace of Joseon dynasty, as if boasting that Japan was the new ruler of the peninsula. New provincial administration buildings were constructed as some provincial capitals were also replaced by new cities. Further, constructing new provincial capitals reorganized the regional structure to center on the cities important for colonial control.
- Distant view of Gyeongbokgung (palace) before the construction of the Government-General building
- Distant view of Gyeongbokgung (palace) after the Government-General building was completed
- Cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Government-General building
- Completion celebrations at the new Government-General building (October 1st, 1926)
- The new Government-General building
- Gyeongseong City Hall building
- Provincial Administration Building of Chungcheongnam-do (Gongju)
- Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Administration Building (Gongju) and Police headquarters
- Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Administration Building (Gongju)
- Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Cheongju)
- Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Cheongju)
- In front of the gingko tree (a local specialty), at the Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Cheongju). Commemorating the visit of Commissioner Mizuno and the gathering of officials and people (Currently Jungang Park).
- Hamgyeongnam-do Provincial Administration Building (Hamheung)
- Gyeonggi-do Provincial Administration Building (Gyeongseong)
- Contrasting the old and new provincial administration buildings (Likely location is Hamgyeongnam-do Provincial Administration Building)
- Hamgyeongbuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Nanam, 1920)
- Pyeongannam-do Provincial Administration Building (Pyeongyang)
- Pyeonganbuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Sinuiju, 1923)
- Building completion ceremony of Pyeonganbuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Sinuiju, 1923)
- Jeollabuk-do Provincial Administration Building (Jeonju, 1921)
- Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Administration Building (Busan, 1933)
- View of the High Court, Gyeongseong Court of Review, and Gyeongseong District Court
- Layout of the new Gyeongseong courthouses (1)
- Layout of the new Gyeongseong courthouses (2)
- Layout of the new Gyeongseong courthouses (3)
- Rooftop garden of the Gyeongseong courthouse
- Interior of the Gyeongseong courthouse, view from the gate toward stairs
- Conference Room of the Gyeongseong courthouse
- Grand courtroom of the Gyeongseong courthouse
- Shinto ritual before construction of the Gyeongseong courthouse
- Cornerstone ceremony for the Gyeongseong courthouse
- Shinto ritual on the completion ceremony for the Gyeongseong courthouse (October 7th, 1928)
- Completion celebrations at the Gyeongseong courthouse
- Completion celebrations at the Gyeongseong courthouse (October 7th, 1928)