Gyeongbokgung Palace: Main palace of Joseon Kingdom
.jpg?w=728)
Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, national treasure No. 224, in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul / Courtesy of Gyeongbokgung
By Kim Jae-heun
Gyeongbokgung Palace, where the kings of the Joseon Kingdom (1932-1910) resided and administered state affairs, is undoubtedly the most important historical attraction for visitors to Korea.
Sitting in the heart of Seoul, the Street of Six Ministries, now called Sejongno, leads to the entrance of the palace, Gwanghwamun Gate.
Gyeongbokgung Palace is protected by a 2,404 meter long wall that is also five meters tall and two meters thick. There are four gates set into the walls Geonchunmun to the east, Gwanghwamun to the south, Yeongchumun to the west and Sinmumun to the north each symbolizing spring and wood, summer and fire, autumn and metal and winter and water, respectively. This originates from the yin and yang concept and the theory of the five elements.
The main palace was built in 1395, three years after King Taejo, Yi Seong-gye, founded the Joseon Dynasty. Jeong Do-jeon, one of the Dynastic Foundation Merit Subjects and the then-prime minister, gave name to the royal venue along with other important buildings in the palace: “Gyeongbok” literally means “the new dynasty will be greatly blessed and prospereous,” and “gung” is “palace.”
Geunjeongjeon, or the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, stands behind the Gwanghwamun Gate, where the coronation ceremonies of kings of the Joseon Kingdom were held and foreign envoys were received. / Courtesy of Gyeongbokgung
For the next five hundred years, Gyeongbokgung Palace served as the main palace and was the center of power, politics, the economy and culture. Most importantly, it was the symbol of national sovereignty.
Behind the Gwanghwamun Gate stands Geunjeongjeon, national treasure No. 223, the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Kings used the hall for coronation ceremonies as well as hosting meetings and receptions with foreign envoys. Geunjeong means “all affairs will be properly managed if Your Majesty demonstrates diligence.” In front of the throne hall is a courtyard of the granite stones intentionally hewn roughly to reduce the reflecting glare from the sun. Three footpaths run along the axis of the courtyard and the center was reserved for the king while court officials walked on the side according to their ranks.
Another hall where the kings managed routine state affairs is Sajeongjeon, which means “hall where the king should think deeply before deciding what is right or wrong.” The kings of Joseon Kingdom held daily morning meetings as well as seminars on state affairs. King Sejong, who invented Hangul or Korean Alphabet, is said to have never missed a meeting that was held from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Once, a minister told the king, “Your Majesty must be tired of attending a meeting every day. How about attending the meeting every other day?” The King said, “If you come here to say such a thing, you need not come.”
Gangnyeongjeon, or the king’s living quarters, in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. This was where the kings read, rested and managed state affairs privately with their close aides. / Courtesy of Gyeongbokgung
On each side of Sajeonjeon sits two auxiliary buildings with heated floors, Cheonchujeon, on the left, and Manchunjeon, on the right, to provide comfort for the king during winters. They were originally connected to the main hall by long corridors, which were dismantled by the Japanese during their occupation of the peninsula.
Gangnyeongjeon and Gyotaejeon are where visitors can take a glimpse into everyday life in a Joseon Kingdom household. Gangnyeongjeon served as the king’s living quarters, where they read, rested and sometimes shared talks on state affairs privately with close aides. Each room at both sides of Gangnyeongjeon is divided into nine sections and arranged into a distinctive layout. Court ladies stayed at night in the rooms surrounding the center, where only the king would sleep. The queens resided at Gyotaejeon while operating the palatial household at the place.
Located at the far-end north of the palace is Geoncheonggung, a palace built in 1873 by King Gojong to forge political independence from his father. However, the palace is better-known to Koreans for the tragic story of Queen Myeongseong’s assassination. After a victory against Russia in 1895, Japan intervened in Joseon’s domestic affairs more aggressively. Queen Myeongseong turned to Russia for support in order to free the country from Japanese rule. On Oct. 8, 1895, Japanese assassins broke into Geoncheonggung and killed the Queen and burned her body on a hillside called Noksan. King Gojong lived in Geoncheonggung for ten years under the intimidation of the Japanese, until he escaped the palace to the Russian legation at dawn on Feb. 11, 1896.
Gyeonghoeru Pavilion typifies the beauty of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The place was where the kings threw formal banquets for foreign envoys while enjoying a sweeping view of the palace and Mount Inwangsan. The original pavilion was smaller but was greatly expanded in 1412 under King Taejong.
Gyeongbokgung Palace underwent several changes, the first following the Japanese invasion of 1592. An article dated April 30, 1592, from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty states tells that the “capital was set afire,” by the enraged people when the king (back then King Sunjo) fled to the North, leaving Gyeongbokgung and nation exposed to danger. The venue was left derelict for 276 years until Prince Regent Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt it in 1867. Unfortunately, it was demolished again during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and ownership of the palace transferred to the Japanese Government-General. Restoration of Gyeongbokgung Palace has been ongoing since 1990.
The palace is open to the public throughout the week except Tuesday. The opening time is 9 a.m. but entrance to the venue differs according to the seasons. During the winter, the entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace closes at 4 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. during the summer. Admission costs 3,000 won ($2.54). For more information, visit https://www.royalpalace.go.kr or call (02) 3700-3900.