This Thursday we bring you a rare colour slide photo of the old Seoul Station in the midst of the Korean War, protected by barbed wire and troops patrolling the streets. The photo was taken shortly after the recapture of Seoul by a civilian engineer attached to the US Army. One can see that the central dome's skylight windows are blown out, presumably from the fighting.

Built in 1925, the historic station still exists today and has been renovated for use as a cultural centre. Below are photos of the old Seoul Station as it appears today, skylights restored, on a clear summer's day.

Examples of colonial era architecture are more common in South Korea, which was not extensively bombed during the Korean War, although some buildings were purposely torn down due to their connections to Japan. In North Korea, a few prominent examples remain, namely today's the Puppet Theatre and Widow Paek's Community Centre in Pyongyang, Wonsan Agricultural College, the old Wonsan Railway Station, Kaesong Provincial Pediatric Hospital, the Namsan Hotel in Rajin, and some other buildings, villas, and complexes around the country. The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang has also put on exhibition a commemorative stone from the era belonging to the now defunct Pyongyang Soongsil University, uncovered during garden renovations.

'Turn Back the Clock Thursday' brings you views of Korea from more than two decades of Koryo Tours' trips to the DPRK and images in the public domain.