Ongseong was constructed to compensate the weakness of the target from multiple invaders, protecting the gate.

[1] Heunginjimun is located at the intersection of subway lines 1 and 4, at Dongdaemun Station (동대문역).

Construction of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a major urban development landmark designed by Zaha Hadid, started in 2009 to renovate what used to be Dongdaemun Stadium (an amateur baseball park) and was officially inaugurated on March 21, 2014.

[2] This landmark, also called the DDP, is the centerpiece of South Korea's fashion hub and popular tourist destination and has been one of the main reasons for Seoul's designation as World Design Capital in 2010.

An official of the Cultural Heritage Administration stated that "The aged gate underwent repairs in 1998 and seems to have become soaked in heavy rains".