Peek inside king's office at Deoksu Palace this June

Reproduction of historical artifacts, including a "Baeksu Baekbokdo" folding screen and a silver-inlaid iron candlestick, are displayed during a press event ahead of the special exhibition "Inside Jeukjodang Hall: Hands and Tools of Craft" at Jeukjodang Hall in Deoksu Palace in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Seoul's royal palaces offer visitors a journey through Korea's dynastic past, from ceremonial throne halls to tranquil gardens tucked behind stone walls.

Deoksu Palace is one of Seoul's five major royal palaces, alongside Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeong and Gyeonghui Palaces. Together, they offer visitors a window into more than five centuries of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) history. Gyeongbok Palace, the largest and most visited, is known for its imposing gates and ceremonial halls. Changdeok Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is famed for its harmonious landscape and extensive garden. Changgyeong Palace is known for its spacious grounds and tranquil atmosphere, while Gyeonghui Palace offers visitors a quiet experience away from crowds. Deoksu Palace stands out for its striking mix of traditional Korean and Western-style architecture, reflecting Korea's transition into the modern era.

With palace visits ranking among the most popular activities for travelers, a new exhibition at Deoksu Palace provides an opportunity to experience royal life from an unusually intimate perspective.

For the first time, visitors can step inside Jeukjodang hall — a historic building where kings once worked and ruled — and explore a meticulously recreated royal office furnished with handcrafted objects inspired by the Joseon court.

The special exhibition, "Inside Jeukjodang Hall: Hands and Tools of Craft," runs through June 21 and opens a palace structure that visitors could previously only peer into from the outside. Guests are invited to remove their shoes, enter the hall and examine the interior furnishings up close, offering a rare chance to experience the aesthetics of Korea's royal court.

Historically, Jeukjodang Hall was where the 15th Joseon king, Gwanghaegun (reigned between1608-1623), and the 16th king, Injo (reigned between 1623-1649), ascended the throne. It served as the royal office until Junghwajeon Hall was completed in 1902 and was later used by King Gojong (1852–1919) after he returned to Deoksu Palace following his refuge at the Russian legation.

Shin Sun-yi, an expert in the traditional Korean craft of metal inlay, points to some of her pieces during a press event for the special exhibition "Inside Jeukjodang Hall: Hands and Tools of Craft" at Jeukjodang Hall in Deoksu Palace in Jung District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Inside, the king's office has been recreated with remarkable attention to detail. Behind the royal dais stands a folding screen embroidered with Chinese characters conveying wishes for health and prosperity. A sedge mat woven with horseshoe patterns covers the floor, while the king's desk is finished in red lacquer — reserved exclusively for royalty during the Joseon era — creating a contrast with the simpler furnishings used by court officials. A pair of iron candlesticks inlaid with silver and four wooden floor lanterns complete the setting.

11 years of recreation

The exhibition marks the latest milestone in the Re-creation of Interior Crafts in Palatial Buildings Project, an 11-year initiative launched in 2015 by the Deoksu Palace Management Office of the Korea Heritage Service and the Arumjigi Foundation, with sponsorship from Hermes Korea. The project seeks to restore furnishings in palace buildings that were left largely empty thanks to decades of loss and displacement.

The initiative began with Hamnyeongjeon hall at Deoksu Palace in 2015, followed by Jeukjodang hall from 2018 to 2021. Restoration efforts later expanded to Sajeongjeon hall at Gyeongbok Palace from 2022 to 2024 and are currently focused on Geunjeongjeon hall, also in Gyeongbok Palace.

"During the Japanese colonial period, Deoksu Palace was downsized to a third of its original scale. Many of its furnishings were sold off to Japan as antiques or destroyed, leaving only a tiny fraction preserved in the National Palace Museum," said Kim Bong-ryol, professor emeritus at the Korea National University of Arts and a member of the project's advisory committee. "The great significance of this project lies in reconnecting the severed veins of our royal palace culture."

An "iron candlestick with silver inlay" is on display during a press event for the special exhibition"Inside Jeukjodang Hall: Hands and Tools of Craft" at Jeukjodang Hall in Deoksu Palace in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

According to Kim So-young of the Arumjigi Foundation, the exhibition also highlights an often overlooked aspect of heritage preservation: the ongoing care required after restoration. "The recreated furnishings inside the palace are not items to be locked away in storage," she said. "They are functional objects that continue to be used and cared for within the living space, just as they were during the Joseon Dynasty."

Artisans keeping royal traditions alive

Beyond the reconstructed interior, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to learn about the artisans who continue to preserve traditional Korean craftsmanship.

Many of the displayed pieces were created using historical references from the National Palace Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum of Korea.

The pieces include a silver-inlaid iron candlestick originally crafted by Choi Gyo-jun, holder of the Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage title in “ipsa,” a traditional metal inlay technique. For this exhibition, the candlestick was restored by his student and certified trainee, Shin Sun-yi.

"Just like the silver ring I wear never changes color, tools that receive frequent human touch last a long time," Shin said. "Because royal palace objects cannot be handled freely, they face the risk of corrosion. My master and I restored them using traditional techniques, including lacquer coating."

Shin's work is displayed alongside her teacher's, illustrating how centuries-old craftsmanship continues to evolve while maintaining its traditional foundations.

Painter Kwon Oh-chang explains how he restored the "Irworobongbyeong" (the folding screen of the sun, moon and five peaks) during a press event for the exhibition "Inside Jeukjodang Hall: Hands and Tools of Craft," at Jeukjodang Hall in Deoksu Palace in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Another highlight is the restored "Irworobongbyeong," iconic style of folding screen depicting the sun, moon and five mountain peaks that traditionally stood behind the king's throne. The screen was originally recreated in 2017 by painter Kwon Oh-chang, who returned nearly a decade later to restore his own work. Kwon is widely known for recreating the folding screen at Gyeongbok Palace's Geunjeongjeon Hall in 1999 and for producing a reproduction of King Taejo's 1872 portrait, the first such recreation in roughly 130 years.

"When I returned to look at it years later, I realized how difficult it is to preserve a painting's original state against paint damage and flaking," Kwon said.

Working with conservation specialists, he restored faded and damaged areas using traditional materials, including mineral pigments, gold and finely ground clam and oyster shells.

Because of space limitations, the restored “Irworobongbyeong” is currently displayed separately at Dondeokjeon Hall within the palace grounds.

Visitors can join the guided tour of the exhibition at the beginning of every hour. On June 16, Shin will discuss the process for making the candlestick and the traditional techniques used to preserve royal palace furnishings during a special program for visitors.

The exhibition will be open until June 21. For more information on admissions, visit the website of the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center.