Early history of Korean electric light and power development

This paper attempted to serve as a research for the revival of the electric light plant (Jeondeungso) erected at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1887. This report provided a chronological overview of the development of electric light and power in late Joseon dynasty (Korea) before 1900’s. It mainly focused on the establishment of light plant in the palace and the erection of new plant for lighting a detached palace Changdeokgung in 1894. Major installations in the first plant were inferred and set up for reconstruction. The powerhouse was a one-story building divided into an engine and dynamo room, and a boiler room. It consisted of the Edison central station lighting system: two 3kW Edison dynamo belted to a high-speed engine which supplied from a coal-fired boiler. Dynamo had capacity of 60, 16-candlepower lamps, thus giving a capacity of 120 incandescent lamps to the station. The new plant was located about midway between the palaces stood apart one-mile, and had capacity of 2,000, 16-candlepower lamps. It is revealed that electric lighting in the palaces has effected nation modernization and finally led the Emperor Gojong to establish Seoul Electric Company in 1898.