Royal tombs: lung of Gangnam

The following is the fourth in a series of articles featuring tourist sites in Gangnam, southern Seoul, where both domestic and foreign tourists can experience an alluring blend of modern and traditional attractions. ㅡ ED.

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Take a step back in time by visiting the quiet royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) surrounded by skyscrapers in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Many people pass by Seolleung Station on subway line 2, but do not consider much about the origin of the name, which came from a royal burial ground.

Seonjeongneung, consists of three tombs including Seolleung, and is only a five-minute walk away from exit 8 of the eponymous subway station located in a busy commercial district of the capital.

Seolleung, the westernmost tomb, is the burial mound of King Seongjong (1457–1494), the ninth king of the Joseon period. The one on the right side of Seolleung is the tomb of Seongjong's second wife, Queen Jeonghyeon. The queen was a sincere believer in Buddhism and established Bongeun Temple near the tombs.

Set aside on the east side is the tomb of King Jungjong (1488–1544), son of King Seongjong and Queen Jeonghyeon. He was originally buried in Goyang, north of Seoul, but his third wife Queen Munjeong exhumed and re-buried him close to his parents.

She also wanted to be laid next to him, but she was interred in Taereung, leaving King Jungjong alone in his tomb. There are only two other royal tombs, King Taejo and King Danjong, where the king and queen are not interred together.

Wooden shrines for rituals stand in front of the two royal tombs. Their descendants still hold memorial services for the kings on the anniversary of their death.

The burial mounds are connected with a scenic trail and it takes about an hour to take a stroll around all three ancient tombs.

Kim Choong-eon, guide to the royal tombs, said international visitors are flocking to visit the tombs since they were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites last year.

"About 200 foreigners come to see the royal burial ground every day," Kim said. "Many of them are Japanese, but we also have visitors from Western countries."

There are 42 royal tombs of kings and queens from the Joseon Dynasty in Korea ㅡ 40 are in South Korea, while two of them are in the North. All 40 tombs in the 18 burial sites have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Formerly an elementary school teacher, Kim has been volunteering to guide foreign visitors with a scrap book full of material related to the tombs for three years now.

"I draw this family tree of King Seongjong and Jungjong to aid foreigner's understanding of the Joseon Dynasty," he said.

The two kings laid in Seonjeongneung have been featured in popular television dramas and soap opera lovers get excited to see the tombs of their favorite characters.

King Seongjong appeared in the drama "King and I" (2007), which centered on a star-crossed love between King Seongjong, his royal concubine and a eunuch. The king was played by actor Go Ju-won and Oh Man-seok played the role of the self-sacrificing eunuch.

King Jungjong, played by Im Ho, hired Janggeum the Great as his physician in the 2003 MBC drama "Jewel in the Palace." "Jewel" is one of the most successful Korean dramas and was exported to some 60 countries across the globe.

“Japanese people especially like to visit the graves of the kings that they saw on television dramas,” Kim said.

The entrance fee is 1,000 won for adults and the ground is closed on Mondays. Visitors can only go into Seolleung twice a day at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and can view the two other tombs from outside.

A visitor’s center is currently under construction and scheduled to open next spring. “The new center will have multimedia material to show the life of kings and queens of the Joseon Kingdom,” Kim said.