Four throne halls of Deoksu Palace to open to public next week
A special program to allow the general public to see the interior of four throne halls of Deoksu Palace in central Seoul will kick off from March 29 through April 3, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday.
One of Seoul's five grand palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Deoksugung, meaning "Palace of Virtuous Longevity," became a palace in 1593 when King Seonjo moved in after all of Seoul's other palaces were destroyed during the Japanese invasion.
Visitors taking part in the program will be able to see the inside of the royal halls -- Junghwajeon, Seogeodang, Hamnyeongjeon and Jeonggwanheon.
The palace's main throne hall, Junghwajeon, was used for ceremonial occasions such as coronations, and is adorned with dragons and golden window frames.
Behind it is the palace's only two-storey non-wooden structure in a grand neoclassical-style, Seogeojeon, designed by a British architect and completed in 1910.
King Gojong's living quarters, Hamnyeongjeon, can also be accessed. His death in his living quarters in 1919 sparked off nationwide protests against Japanese rule.
Behind these structures is the fusion-style pavilion Jeonggwanheon, designed by a Russian architect as a place for the Korean monarch to savor coffee and entertain guests.
A maximum of 20 people will be admitted each time from 10 a.m., with the guided tour to last one-and-a-half hours. People can apply for admission at
(Yonhap)