The gate served as the westeren opening to the Fortress Wall that surrounded the city during the Joseon period.

Some of these photographs show the tracks of an "American Electric Tramway" running through the gate.

Donuimun was demolished in 1915, during Japanese rule of Korea, in order to facilitate the construction of a tram line.

[5] In 2009, Seoul Metropolitan Government announced plans to rebuild Donuimun, using maps from the Joseon era to the present day, in addition to conducting surveys and excavations.

[5] Officials originally envision the project to be complete by 2013,[5] but was delayed to 2022, due to budget issues.