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.