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Korean architecture entered a new phase of development duringthe post-Korean War reconstruction efforts, with the return of two ambitiousyoung architects of great talent from overseas--Kim Chung-opfrom France and Kim Su-gun from Japan. Theoffice-residence of the French Embassy in Seoul by Kim Chung-op,and the Liberty Center by Kim Su-gun, bothconstructed in the early 1960s, were a refreshing addition to Seoul'sarchitectural environment. Both artists were influenced by the brutalism of LeCorbusier, but their different approaches have contributed greatly to thedevelopment of Korean architecture and have been a point of continuing academicdebate.

Some structures of special note in Seoul include Kim Chung-op'sSamillo Building, significant because it introduced new technology in the 1970s;Om Tok-mun's SejongCultural Center; Pak Chun-myong's 63-story DaehanLife Insurance Building; and Kim Su-gun's KyongdongPresbyterian Church and the Olympic Stadium, showing the influence of the linesof Choson ceramics.

After the era of Kim Su-gun andKim Chung-op, there came an age of experimentationand diversity in Korean architecture. Some of the most notable examples are KimSeok-chul's Seoul Arts Center, Kim Won's Kugaktang and Yun Sung-jun'sHigh Court Complex, Hwang Il-in's City Airport Terminal and Cho Sung-ryong'sAthlete's Apartments at the Olympic village.

In the aftermath of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, South Korea haswitnessed a wide variation of styles in its architectural landscape due, inlarge part, to the opening up of the market to foreign architects. Moreover,forced to keep abreast with international trends, Koreans have been coming upwith ways to combine the traditional Korean sense of aesthetics and beauty withthe international tastes and the functional demands of contemporary life.

Needless to say, one of the greatest tasks of thearchitectural community is to protect the country's great architectural legacyby achieving a harmonious relationship between the ancient styles and modernstructures.