Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung (Korean: 경복궁; Hanja: 景福宮; Korean pronunciation: [kjʌŋbok̚k͈uŋ]) is a former royal palace in Seoul, South Korea. It was the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, having been established in 1395. It is now one of the most significant tourist attractions in the country.
The palace was among the first landmarks to be established in Seoul. It flourished under the 1418–1450 reign of Sejong the Great, who invented the native Korean script Hangul at the palace. In 1592, amidst the Imjin War, the palace was completely burned down. Plans to repair the palace fell through amidst funding shortages after the war. It would not be restored until the late 19th century, during the reign of the penultimate monarch Gojong.
In 1910, Japan colonized Korea. As the palace was a symbol of the Korean monarchy's authority, Japan systematically demolished and altered it. Almost all of its around 500 structures were sold off and demolished. In their place, modern-style buildings like the Government-General of Chōsen Building were established. Significant efforts to restore the palace began in the 1980s. Since then, the 1990–2010 First Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan and 2008–2045 Second Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan have attempted to restore the palace to its pre-colonial state. Dozens of buildings and structures in the palace have since been recreated, with dozens more scheduled for the future.
The palace hosts a changing of the guard ceremony twice per day. It contains the National Folk Museum of Korea and National Palace Museum of Korea. It is accessible by the subway station Gyeongbokgung Station. For part of the year, it is open at night. Entrance is free for visitors wearing hanbok (traditional Korean clothing).
"Gyeongbokgung" means "great blessings palace". The palace and many of its main structures were named by the Korean official Chŏng Tojŏn. Chŏng named the palace in the 10th month of 1395 after the final two characters of a poem from the Classic of Poetry: "already drunk on alcohol, already full of virtue, gentlemen will long enjoy your great blessings" (旣醉以酒, 旣飽以德, 君子萬年, 介爾景福).
The palace has also been called "Bukgwol" (북궐; 北闕; Pukkwŏl), meaning "north palace"; this term was used in relation to the other palaces in the city.
After establishing Joseon in 1392 (Korean calendar), the founding king Taejo (r. 1392–1398) began work in establishing a new capital for his state. Kwŏn Chunghwa [ko], an expert in feng shui, was placed in charge of choosing the location of the capital. In 1392, he chose a site near the mountain Gyeryongsan in South Chungcheong Province. After facing opposition, in the 8th month of 1394, it was decided that Hanyang (later called Seoul) would be the capital. There was fierce debate over where the palace and city proper should be, with eight candidate sites in the region identified. One proposed location for the palace was slightly north of its current location on the site of a Goryeo-era palace now called Namgyŏng Igung (남경 이궁; 南京離宮), but it was decided that the space was too small.
The location was finalized by the 9th month of 1394. On the 1st day, 9th month of 1394, Taejo established a temporary office (신도궁궐조성도감; 新都宮闕造成都監) dedicated to designing Hanyang and establishing a new palace for it. Construction began on it in the 12th month. Workers were gathered from around the region: 4,500 from west and 5,500 from east Gyeonggi Province, as well as 5,500 from Chungcheong Province. The palace was completed in the 9th month of 1395. The palace's original scale, while smaller and less developed than its later form, is difficult to precisely determine; varying estimates have been provided. Various scholars have claimed that it had 390 rooms (칸), fewer than 400 rooms, or 755 rooms. On the 28th day, 12th month, Taejo moved into the palace. Shortly after the palace's completion, amidst political instability, Joseon's capital was changed to Kaegyŏng (now Kaesong) then back to Hanyang. The palace was abandoned for about ten years.
In 1404, King Taejong (r. 1400–1418) began preparations to return to Hanyang. He had the palace Changdeokgung established, and he resided in that palace in the meantime. In 1406, he began efforts to repair Gyeongbokgung. In 1411, Taejong had a nearby stream Myŏngdangsu (명당수; 明堂水) redirected into the palace, making it a kŭmch'ŏn [ko] (palace stream). He also had a pond dug out and in 1412 constructed the pavilion Gyeonghoeru [ko]. Around this time, the gwageo (civil service examinations) were held in the palace. Despite these efforts, Taejong functionally avoided Gyeongbokgung and resided in Changdeokgung. Architect Im Seok-jae theorized that this was because he associated the site with unpleasant memories from political turmoil and thought some of its feng shui qualities ominous. He and many succeeding Joseon kings had Gyeongbokgung as their official palace (법궁; 法宮; pŏpkung) but had secondary palaces (이궁; 離宮; igung) that they often resided in more or moved between.
In 1421, Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450) made Gyeongbokgung his primary palace. By 1427, he officially moved out of Changdeokgung, although he moved between both palaces often. Sejong greatly renovated and expanded the palace. It was during Sejong's reign that Gyeongbokgung became fully-fledged and functional. Under Sejong, the palace hosted a number of scientific devices, including the water clock Borugak Jagyeongnu and a facility for producing movable type. The palace was then host to the Hall of Worthies, which assisted Sejong in developing Hangul. In 1443, Sejong established the office Ŏnmunch'ŏng [ko] in the palace, which played a role in developing the native Korean script Hangul.
The palace remained in much the same form from Sejong's reign for around a hundred years. Sejong's son Sejo moved out of Gyeongbokgung and preferred Changdeokgung. Gyeongbokgung saw use especially for events and hosting foreign dignitaries. In 1461, the office Suridogam (수리도감; 修理都監) was put in charge of maintainining and restoring the palace. The palace experienced a fire on the 15th day, 12th month of 1467. In the 9th month of 1528, the palace was extensively renovated.
On the 14th day, 9th month of 1553, the palace experienced a major fire. The fire destroyed much of the inner palace area (편전; 便殿; p'yŏnjŏn; where the king conducted daily private politics, and 침전; 寢殿; the king's bedchambers). In that area of the palace, only the main hall Geunjeongjeon was left standing. Numerous treasures, books, records, royal seals, clothing, and even horses that had been in the royal family for generations were lost. In the aftermath of the fire, the royal family moved to Changdeokgung. Repairs began in the 3rd month of 1554. They were overseen by a temporary office (대내선수도감; 大內繕修都監). 2,200 soldiers and monks and 1,500 paid workers were mobilized for the effort. Repairs were completed by the 18th day, 9th month of that year.
In 1592, during the 1592–1598 Imjin War, Gyeongbokgung and the other two palaces in the city were completely burned down. It is debated who burned down the palaces, as surviving contemporary records are from intellectuals who did not witness the burnings. Various contemporary Korean texts, including the Veritable Records of Seonjo [ko], report hearsay that it was Korean commoners who burned down the palace to destroy palace records. When the Japanese invaders entered the city on the 2nd day, 5th month of that year, Gyeongbokgung was still in tact. Japanese discipline in the city was reportedly initially high, but when they began suffering defeats, they took their frustrations out on the city and locals, burning buildings and killing.
King Seonjo (r. 1567–1608) had escaped Hanyang before the Japanese entered it. Upon his return to the city in 1593, he stayed in a temporary palace (which later became Deoksugung). The Ch'unch'ugwan researched Gyeongbokgung's past form and history using Joseon's extensive historical records, such as the Uigwe. By 1606, plans had been drawn up for the palace's reconstruction. However, Joseon's economy was still recovering from the devastating war and finances were tight; Gyeongbokgung's reconstruction was indefinitely postponed and the state's resources were mostly focused on rebuilding Changdeokgung. There is a record of arguments that Gyeongbokgung was inauspicious and that it be deemphasized.
Seonjo's successor King Gwanghaegun (r. 1608–1623) rebuilt Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung and made the palaces Ingyeonggung [ko] and Gyeongdeokgung.
For around 270 years afterwards, Gyeongbokgung went mostly unused and undeveloped. Over time, various kings expressed interest in rebuilding the palace, but did not act on this, due to financial restrictions and the other palaces in the city being sufficient. In the 5th month of 1706, King Sukjong (r. 1674–1720) ordered that the palace's walls be repaired. He hosted a banquet for 150 elderly civilians at the palace in the 9th month of 1706. King Yeongjo (r. 1724–1776) took a particular interest in the palace. He researched its history and saw its symbolic value. He stored various spirit tablets there and held ancestral rituals (진작례; 進爵禮; chinjangnye). He also held a number of ceremonies at the palace. The first such event was in 1747. The next event he held was in 1763, and thereafter many more followed. He hosted the gwageo at the palace at least 17 times.
There are a number of contemporary poems about literati visiting the ruins of the palace and appreciating the nature of the site, which had forests and flowers. On the 18th day, 12th month of 1813, there was a fire in a Sujeongjeon annex building.
On the 2nd day, 4th month of 1865, Queen Sinjeong, regent of the penultimate Korean monarch King Gojong (r. 1864–1907), ordered that the palace be reconstructed. The following day, the government department Yŏnggŏndogam (영건도감) was established to manage the reconstruction. Construction began on the 13th day of that month. The queen delegated supervision of the reconstruction to Gojong's father, the Heungseon Daewongun, who went on to wield the monarchy's actual power for years afterwards. In this role, the Daewongun was able to consolidate his authority. Michael Kim evaluated the palace's construction as controversial amongst the elite, who criticized the expense of the project. The Daewongun tried to build enthusiasm for it. Records indicate that he went as far as to manufacture a positive omen: he had a piece of jade engraved with a message that warded off fire "discovered" at the construction site.
Historian Lee Gyu-cheol evaluated the construction effort as one of the largest and most expensive of the late Joseon period. Funding was procured through "voluntary payment" (원납전; 願納錢) from mostly yangban (upper class) people from around Korea; such payments were actually mostly explicitly or implicitly coerced or rewarded with government benefits or later compensation. Resources also needed to be procured, ideally cost-effectively, for the reconstruction. Various structures that were deemed non-essential in and around Hanyang were demolished and their materials recycled for the palace. For example, on the 9th day, 5th month of 1865, a stone bridge called Songgyegyo (송계교; 松溪橋) was demolished for this reason. In the 8th month of 1865, it was ordered that all buildings except for five in Gyeonghuigung be demolished so that their materials could be used to reconstruct Gyeongbokgung. Gyeonghuigung ceased to be significantly used thereafter. During the time of the palace's neglect, commoners had built houses and buildings right next to the palace walls. On the 12th day, 4th month of 1865, the first order to demolish such houses was issued. More demolitions were ordered in the following year. The monarchy demolished 4,502 private homes (1,872 with tile roofs and 2,553 with thatched roofs) around the palace during the reconstruction and paid compensation to those affected. The compensation was scaled according to estimated material value of the houses. Some estates were perceived to be so valuable that they were paid out many times the default payment, with one receiving a payment 450 times the default.
A total of 616,114 people either volunteered (원부군; 願赴軍) or were implicitly coerced by their superiors to construct the palace, with most working on the first few months of construction. On the 25th day, 4th month of 1865, there were reportedly 36,479 volunteers present at the construction site, with most being residents of Seoul. There are accounts of high spirits and regional pride at the construction sites; workers showed off their hometowns and affiliations with flags and uniforms, and the government provided amenities such as traditional music and entertainment while they worked. Accommodations, food, and travel reimbursement were provided, especially to those who came from far away.
Ten fires broke out during the reconstruction. Major ones occurred in the 3rd month of 1866 and 2nd month of 1867. The fires damaged small parts of the palace, but mostly destroyed much of the wood and woodworking facilities needed for the construction and caused delays. In 1866, the French expedition to Korea occurred, in which French ships attacked Joseon in retaliation for Joseon's execution of French missionaries. This was the first military conflict on Korean soil in over 200 years. It caused disruptions to labor and the shipping of materials for the palace. Geunjeongjeon and Sajeongjeon, which were constructed during this time, took around twice as long to build compared to other similar buildings.
Gojong and the royal family moved into the palace on the 2nd day, 7th month of 1868. Construction continued even after the move-in, until 1873. For example, at the time of his move-in, the palace's surrounding walls were temporary and made of mud; these were later replaced with permanent stone walls. In 1887, the first electric light in Korea was turned on in Gyeongbokgung.
The palace experienced a major fire on the 10th day, 12th month of 1873 that destroyed 364 rooms. Ten days later, Gojong moved to Changdeokgung. Reconstruction efforts were continually pushed back due to financial and resource restrictions. It was not until the 27th day, 3rd month of 1875 that reconstruction began. He returned to Gyeongbokgung on the 27th day, 5th month of that year, and repairs concluded on the 3rd day, 6th month. However, on the 4th day, 11th month of 1876, another major fire broke out. It caused more than twice as much damage as its predecessor, destroying 830 rooms. Gojong was exasperated by the fires, and began planning to relocate to Changdeokgung. Five days later, he ordered that Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung be repaired instead. He continued to stay in Gyeongbokgung for another four months during the repairs, then moved to Changdeokgung. Reconstruction on Gyeongbokgung began in 1881. Gojong did not return to Gyeongbokgung until 1884. Reconstruction was finally completed in 1888. More fires broke out, with one in an annex to Taewonjeon on the 19th day, 11th month of 1891 and another at Cheonchujeon on the 13th day, 10th month of 1892. Gojong moved back into Gyeongbokgung on the 24th day, 5th month of 1894.
Meanwhile, the palace and Korea experienced significant political turmoil. The failed Kapsin Coup occurred at the palace in 1884. In 1894, amidst a truce during the 1894–1895 Donghak Peasant Revolution, Japanese troops stormed and occupied the palace and installed a pro-Japanese government. This set off the First Sino-Japanese War. In 1895, the Korean Queen Min was assassinated by Japanese agents at Geoncheonggung [ko] in the palace. The assassins also looted the palace during the attack. Afterwards, Gojong fled to the Russian legation for protection in 1896.
Rather than return to Gyeongbokgung, where Min had been assassinated, Gojong chose to make Gyeongungung (later called "Deoksugung") his primary residence for its proximity to various foreign legations, which he believed could help protect him from Japan. He then declared the establishment of the Korean Empire. Thereafter, Gyeongbokgung was not significantly used by Gojong, although the royal family continued using it for several ceremonies. It fell into disrepair. A fire broke out in the palace on the 21st day, 9th month of 1899, destroying facilities for court ladies and servants. Gojong ordered maintenance on the palace in 1900, 1904, and 1907. However, after 1905, Japan began indirectly ruling Korea, and repairs were subject to approval by the Japanese Resident-General of Korea. Furthermore, Gojong was forced to abdicate in lieu of his son, Sunjong. Sunjong began to use Changdeokgung as his main palace.
In 1907, even before annexing Korea, Japan made Gyeongbokgung into a public park. The palace was opened to the public on March 3, 1908. It was open to the public for an admission fee of 10 jeon every Sunday and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. On June 25, 1908, all royal facilities were put under control of the government office Kungnaebu, which was operated by pro-Japanese Koreans. That office began auctioning off the palace's property to the public in 1910, just before the annexation. A Taehan maeil sinbo article from May 1, 1910 claimed that 4,000 rooms of Gyeongbokgung's buildings were up for auction; this was around two thirds of all the rooms in the palace. The buildings were dismantled and removed from the palace.
Gyeongbokgung, as a symbol of the Korean monarchy's authority, was systematically dismantled by the Japanese colonial government. On May 17, 1911, it was donated by the Kungnaebu to the colonial government. The first major project undertaken by the colonial government was to demolish the East Palace; they argued that section was unnecessary. Historian Shin Hye-won evaluated this as a symbolic dismissal of the continuity of the Korean monarchy, as that area was traditionally where the crown prince would prepare to be the next king. The price of public admission to the palace was halved to a value trivial to most people. In the fall of 1913, the colonial government held a birthday celebration for the recently deceased Emperor Meiji at the palace.
The palace was rapidly modified in anticipation of the September 11 to October 31, 1915 Chōsen Industrial Exhibition, which was mainly held in the southern part of the palace. Buildings were auctioned off in 1914; this resulted in the demolition of 15 buildings and 9 gates by March 1915. One such building, Jaseondang [ko], was reassembled in the private home of Japanese businessman Ōkura Kihachirō in Tokyo. The exhibition, as was common with other colonial exhibitions of the age, was partly intended to highlight the modernity of the colonizer in order to justify the colonization. Shin evaluated the symbolic setting of the exhibition in Gyeongbokgung as amplifying the effect. More exhibitions continued to be held at the palace afterwards, including the 1923 Chōsen Agricultural Exhibition (조선부업품공진회; 朝鮮副業品共進會), 1925 Chōsen Poultry Exhibition (조선가금공진회; 朝鮮家禽共進會), 1926 Chōsen Exhibition (조선박람회; 朝鮮博覽會), 1929 Chōsen Exhibition (조선박람회; 朝鮮博覽會), and 1935 Chōsen Industrial Exhibition (조선산업박람회; 朝鮮産業博覽會).
The residency-general had established a temporary museum in the East Palace in 1909. After the 1915 exhibition, they converted the museum into the permanent Government-General Museum of Chōsen. That museum's building was completed in September 1915, and the museum opened to the public on December 1 of that year. Historian Michael Shin evaluated the museum and Japanese Korean studies research in general as intentionally focused on Korea's ancient history, in order to portray Korea as old and Japan as modern. Only 4.5% of the museum's collection was from the Joseon period; 76% was from before that.
On June 25, 1916, the colonial government began symbolically constructing their new headquarters in the palace: the Government-General of Chōsen Building. Construction would last for around 10 years, until October 1, 1926. After the building's completion, contruction began on the grounds around it. A baseball field was constructed to the building's east and a tennis court and 400-meter track to its north. The tennis court would persist until the Fifth Republic of Korea (1981–1988). The various construction projects in the palace drew from an eclectic mix of modern Western architectural styles. Historian Todd A. Henry evaluated them all as attempting to portray Japan as modernizing and open, and Korea as backward and closed.
On November 10, 1917, a major fire at Changdeokgung destroyed much of that palace. The colonial government ordered that many of Gyeongbokgung's buildings be moved to Changdeokgung. A plan to demolish the palace's main gate Gwanghwamun became public knowledge in 1921. It was met with opposition from both Koreans and from Japanese Koreanist Yanagi Sōetsu. Yanagi has since been credited with playing a significant role in saving the gate; it was ultimately relocated to the north of Geonchunmun, in violation of the auspicious north-south axis that it had previously been placed on. The tower Seosipjagak was demolished to make way for a tram, which opened on October 2, 1923.
After the 1919 March First Movement protests against Japanese rule, the government-general began allowing some more expression of Korean culture under a series of policies dubbed "cultural rule [ja; ko]". As a result of this, and through the initiative of Yanagi, the Chōsen Folk Art Museum was established in the palace in 1924. Shin argued that, while Yanagi was sympathetic to Korea in a number of regards, he and his museum ultimately portrayed Koreans as weak and inferior in an imperialist fashion. For the 1929 Chōsen Exhibition in the palace, a number of exhibits were themed "Korean style", which Henry evaluated as superficial.
In 1929, a road construction project resulted in the walls being altered. In 1938, the final pre-colonial building west and south of Geunjeongjeon, an office building for the Sŏnjŏn'gwan [ko], was demolished.
Soon after the August 1945 liberation of Korea, the palace continued to be used much as it had been during the colonial period. Voices advocated for the restoration and maintenance of the palace, but these went largely unheeded amidst the chaos of the liberation and division of Korea, as well as the establishment of the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK). In September 1945, the USAMGIK headquartered itself in the Government-General of Chōsen Building (which began to be called the "Central Government Building"; CGB; 중앙청; 中央廳) in the palace. That building continued to be used for important functions through the rest of the 1940s, including for the opening of the 1948 Constituent National Assembly and ceremony for the establishment of South Korea. Public events also continued to be held in the palace; for example, a trade exhibition was held there on April 26, 1946.
The palace's facilities fell into disrepair. Management of the palace was delegated to a new organization called the Office for the Former Royal Family [ko]. The first post-liberation maintenance work carried out on the palace was in April 1948. Around the establishment of South Korea later that year, the Ministry of Culture and Education [ko] and Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office (경복궁 관리사무소) were established and management transferred to them. In 1950, a Joseon-style pavilion called Hahyangjeong was constructed to the northeast of Gyeonghoeru.
During the 1950–1953 Korean War, the palace was heavily damaged and even looted. Damage was so significant that the scale of it would not be properly understood even for years afterwards. It was only on December 19, 1952 that the Ministry of Culture and Education established a committee to assess and repair the country's historic assets. Even then, maintenance of historical assets was considered a lesser priority compared to the country's basic social services like primary education. After some repairs to the palace, in part funded by the American-Korean Foundation (한미재단), it was reopened to the public in January 1953. Significant damage to the palace would persist for years afterwards; for example, the CGB remained in poor condition until its 1962–1964 repairs.
After the May 16 coup of 1961, Park Chung Hee seized power in the country. Part of the Capital Defense Command [ko] became stationed in the northwest of the palace that year; after staying in tents, 20 temporary buildings for them were established in 1965. The primary goal of the Park administration was economic development, although it engaged in a number of cultural projects to bolster its legitimacy. In January 1962, he promulgated the Cultural Heritage Protection Act of South Korea [ko], which began managing assets like the palace. On January 21, 1963, the palace was made a Historic Site of South Korea. The budget for maintenance was tight, which affected the scale and quality. 31 small-scale maintenance and restoration projects were carried out on the palace from 1961 to 1967. Structures like Gwanghwamun and Yeongchumun were restored, albeit controversially using reinforced concrete and not in their original spots. Such projects slowed beginning in January 1966, as resources were focused on building the National General Museum of Korea (국립종합박물관; the building now houses the National Folk Museum of Korea) in the palace.
A number of newer buildings were constructed in the palace as well. The National General Museum of Korea was constructed between 1966 and 1972. An annex for that building was completed in 1970. In 1979, a modern-style office building called Husaenggwan (후생관) was completed. In 1982, a traditional-style exhibition hall related to the assassination of Empress Myeongseong (을미사변기록화전시각) was established in Geoncheonggung; it later became used by the National Palace Museum of Korea. Other miscellaneous buildings for things like gift shops and restrooms were also established.
Under the Park administration, the palace was used for a number of public events that have seen been viewed critically. In the 1960s, it hosted a pro wrestling event, an American cowboy show, and an ice skating rink. In May 1962, an industrial exhibition was held at the palace to commemorate the one year anniversary of Park's May 16 coup, during which he seized control over the country. On January 12, 1963, The Chosun Ilbo reported on a plan to build a golf course at the palace, which drew public outrage and caused the plan to be scrapped. The size of the palace was also reduced: in 1967, as part of a road expansion project, around 1,490 pyeong (4,900 m) of the northeastern section of the palace was demolished, and the Capital Defense Command's space on the palace grounds was increased. Restrictions on future such modifications were enacted in the 1970s.
The 1980s saw the beginnings of more and higher quality work on preserving South Korean cultural heritage sites. A major architectural survey on Seoul's palaces was conducted from 1983 to 1984. As a result, Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru were made National Treasures, and Jagyeongjeon, a chimney at Jagyeongjeon [ko], chimneys in Amisan Garden [ko], and Geunjeongmun were made Treasures. On May 22, 1984, a comprehensive management plan for the palaces was approved that Shin evaluated as being the first significant post-liberation effort to restore the pre-colonial dignity of the palaces.
In 1990, the First Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan (경복궁 1차 복원사업) began. It aimed to partially restore the palace to its Gojong-era state in 1888 (which had around 500 buildings). The plan was to be carried out in five overlapping short stages from 1990 to 2009 and three overlapping long stages from 2006 to 2015. Each stage was focused on various regions of the palace, and involved extensive repairs, demolitions, and recreations of pre-colonial buildings. A 1993 survey had 65.7% of respondants approving of the restoration of the palace and 18.2% opposing.
From 1995 to 1996, the CGB was finally demolished after much public debate. Once it was removed, work began to restore the buildings that formerly occupied its spot. In 1995, the former Government-General of Chōsen Art Museum [ko] building was demolished and the remains of Gyeongbokgung's former building Jaseondang (which had been sold and moved to Japan) were returned to Korea. In 1996, the Capital Defense Command buildings were removed. The reenactment of the changing of the guard ceremony began in 2002.
The First Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan was completed in 2010. It resulted in the restoration of 89 buildings. At that point, the palace had around 25% of its original buildings. Before the completion of the first plan, the Second Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan (경복궁 2차 복원기본계획) was enacted in 2008. The plan called for more restorations from 2011 to 2030 in six stages. It called for the restoration of 331 or 344 former buildings; the number varied depending on whether it could be agreed to demolish the National Palace Museum of Korea (a modern building). The plan was revised in 2011; it called for the demolition of the National Folk Museum of Korea (another modern building).
The Second Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan was significantly revised in 2015. It called for both a longer timespan (until 2045) and around a third the number of restored buildings (80). This was due to considerations of reducing impact of construction on visitors and increasing the time for archaeology and research. The National Palace Museum is not set to be demolished in the plan, but the National Folk Museum is. The plan received minor revisions in 2017 and 2018, with the 2018 plan adding the restoration of the Gwanghwamun Woldae (front plaza). The Sojubang projects were mostly completed in 2015 and likewise for Heungbokjeon in 2019.
In 2020, a significant revision was made. It raised the number of restorations to 90. By the end of the plan, 43% of the palace's original buildings will have been restored. The total estimated implementation cost for that version of the plan was given as ₩293.82 billion (US$248.95 million).
The placement of both Gyeongbokgung and Hanyang considered both practicality and various philosophical traditions. The capital needed to have good access to water transportation, adequate spaces for roads to the rest of Korea, and adequate space for farming. For philosophical traditions, one factor used from the Chinese text Rites of Zhou was placing the ancestral temple on the left, and soil and grain temple on the right [zh]. Accordingly, Jongmyo is to the left of the palace and Sajikdan to the right. Another factor from the Rites was placing government offices to the front of the palace and markets to the rear; only the offices were able to be placed like so, as there wasn't enough room behind the palace for markets. Feng shui was also considered. The flow of Korea's mountains and watersheds was analyzed, with one goal being having the palace with a mountain behind it and water to the front [ko]. This corresponds to Bugaksan, Cheonggyecheon, and the Han River. The presence of four surrounding major mountains (Bugaksan, Naksan, Inwangsan, and Namsan) in Hanyang was seen as auspicious and protecting the city. Hanyang also had an outer ring of surrounding mountains (Bukhansan, Achasan, Gwanaksan, and Deogyangsan), adding to its auspiciousness. Contemporary Korean Buddhist monks then considered the convergence point of three mountains and two rivers to be auspicious sites: Hanyang had Samgaksan, Yongmunsan, and Gwanaksan and the confluence of the rivers Bukhan and Namhan.
The palace's main features are mostly placed symmetrically and along a north-south axis. The palace's initial layout was designed to follow a principle from the Chinese work Kaogongji, part of the Rites of Zhou. That text advocated for palaces to have three gates and three courtyards (삼문삼조; 三門三朝) that are to be accessed in sequential order. These were the front gate of the palace Gwanghwamun and first courtyard (외조; 外朝; used for government offices), Geunjeongmun and second courtyard (치조; 治朝; used for conducting politics between the king and his subjects), and Hyangomun and third courtyard (연조; 燕朝; where the king and his family resided).
Chŏng named the palace's main buildings with inspiration from the Book of Documents. The buildings are symbolically named to reflect Neo-Confucian principles. This was in contrast to Goryeo-era ideals and building names, which reflected both Confucian and Buddhist ideals. Furthermore, Chŏng's arguments for the location of the palace, which were primarily based on Neo-Confucianism, were prioritized over the Buddhist arguments of the monk Muhak. These decisions reflected Joseon's prioritization of Confucianism over Buddhism on a state-level.
The reasons for why Joseon kings often did not primarily reside in Gyeongbokgung have been analyzed. Im theorized that Changdeokgung was preferred by many kings over Gyeongbokgung because of its more central location in the city, larger area, and less rigid and dense design.
The rebuilt palace was designed to reflect various concepts in the I Ching and Taijitushuo [zh], such as yin and yang, the bagua, and the hexagram. New buildings were named by the Yŏnggŏndogam. The palace was densely packed with buildings. Attempts were made to give some of the buildings' roofs blue tiles, like was done in the original palace, but the Goryeo ware techniques needed to create these had been lost during the Imjin War, when the ceramics industry collapsed and many Korean artisans were enslaved and taken to Japan. Ultimately, such tiles were not used in the recreation. Dragon-shaped water spout statues around the palace are likely, in part, symbolic wardens to protect the palace from fire.
Im Seok-jae evaluated the reconstructed palace as being very similar to the pre-Imjin War version, while Michael Kim evaluated it as significantly different. Kim Ung-ho argued that although many of the palace's overall layout and major structures were recreated, a number of buildings were original or used differently in this reconstruction. Documents that may have been helpful for recreating the palace had been lost during the Japanese invasions.
A 2020 report stated that the palace had 9,499 trees of 135 species.
The historical authenticity of the various recreated buildings has been a source of recurring controversy and debate. Authentic recreations are difficult to achieve for a number of reasons. Korean architecture of the Joseon period did not rely on modern-style blueprints, and records of how specific buildings were constructed are often sparse. The styles of such buildings also varied depending on individual craftsmen. Furthermore, some have argued that materials used for construction should be sourced from within Korea itself.
The palace is in a key location in modern Seoul. It is surrounded by numerous important buildings used by the government, military, business, and tourist industry. To its north is the presidential residence the Blue House. To its south are Gwanghwamun Square, Government Complex, Sejong Center, Embassy of the United States, and Embassy of Japan. In addition, various stone monuments around the palace indicate the former sites of historic buildings or events associated with those spots.
Gwanghwamun (광화문; 光化門) is the main gate of the palace, and is located to its south. It was completed in the 9th month of 1395. It was originally called Nammun (남문; 南門) or Omun (오문; 午門). It was given its current name by Sejong in 1426. Its name has a number of theorized meanings, including "era of peace" (광천화일; 光天化日) or "spreading the dignity and virtue of the country far and wide" (광피사표화급만방; 光被四表化及萬方). It was renovated in 1432. During Gojong's reign, the gate was made taller than the previous version. It was ordered that a large bell be installed in the gate on the 5th day, 9th month of 1870. A gate tower for it was demolished in October 1926. The gate was relocated in 1927 to the north of Geonchunmun; this effort began in April and was completed by mid-September. During the Korean War, its wooden portion completely burned down, leaving only stone. After the war and during the Park Chung Hee administration, it was reconstructed, controversially, almost entirely out of concrete and steel, save for its wooden nameplate featuring Hangul calligraphy from Park. Proponents argued that the modern materials used for the reconstruction symbolized Korea's modernization. It was completed in December 1968. It was rebuilt northwest from its original spot. It began to be restored to its precolonial state in 2006. This effort was completed in 2010. It has a statue of a xiezhi (haetae) in front of it; the legendary animal is believed to guard against fire and evil spirits.
Geunjeongjeon (근정전; 勤政殿) is the throne hall where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance, and greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors during the Joseon period. The building was designated as Korea's National Treasure No. 223 on January 8, 1985. Geunjeongmun (근정문; 勤政門), aligned and located directly to the south of Geunjeongjeon, is the main gate to the courtyard and to Geunjeongjeon. The gate is divided into three separate aisles, and only the king was allowed to walk through the center.
Geunjeongjeon was originally constructed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo, but was burned down in 1592 when the Japanese invaded Korea. The present building was built in 1867 when Gyeongbokgung was being reconstructed. The name Geunjeongjeon, created by the minister Jeong Do-jeon, means "diligent governance hall".
Constructed mainly of wood, Geunjeongjeon sits on the center of a large rectangular courtyard, on top of a two-tiered stone platform. This two-tiered platform is lined with detailed balustrades and is decorated with numerous sculptures depicting imaginary and real animals, such as dragons and phoenixes. The stone-paved courtyard is lined with two rows of rank stones, called pumgyeseok (품계석; 品階石), indicating where the court officials are to stand according to their ranks. The whole courtyard is fully enclosed by wooden cloisters.
Sajeongjeon [ko] (사정전; 思政殿) was where the king met with officials to discuss state affairs. A ceremony called sangcham (상참; 常參) was held here, where officials would pay their respects to the king. The ceremony was supposed to be daily, although this was often not enforced. The king used the building as a preparation space before royal ceremonies. It was renovated in 1429. It was destroyed in the 1553 fire and rebuilt.
Two separate side buildings, Cheonchujeon (천추전; 千秋殿) and Manchunjeon (만춘전; 萬春殿), flank the west and east of Sajeongjeon, and while Sajeongjeon is not equipped with a heating system, these buildings are equipped with Ondols for their use in the colder months.
Gyeonghoeru [ko] (경회루; 慶會樓) was an elevated hall meant for hosting banquets for dignitaries. It was renovated in 1429 and in 1527. It was spared by the 1553 fire. It was destroyed in the Imjin War; only its stone foundation pillars remained, of which several eventually broke. It currently has 35 rooms. It is supported by 48 stone pillars on its first floor. Its second floor is divided into three levels of differing heights. The highest level in the center was meant for the king. The building's features symbolize a number of concepts in numerology: three symbolizes heaven, earth, and man [ko], eight symbolizes the bagua, twelve the months of the year, 64 the hexagram, and 24 the solar terms. It was originally surrounded by a wall with three gates and a stone bridge that allowed access from Gangnyeongjeon. The wall was demolished during the colonial period. The north and east sides of the wall were restored afterwards. Two bronze dragon statues were placed in the adjacent pond, as symbolic wardens against fire. In 1997, only one was discovered in the pond. It is currently on display in the National Palace Museum. Two duplicates were constructed and placed back in the pond in February 1998. It is a designated National Treasure of South Korea.
Gyeonghoeru used to be represented on the 10,000 won Korean banknotes (1983–2002 Series).
Sajeongjeon [ko] (사정전; 思政殿) was where the king met with officials to discuss state affairs. A ceremony called sangcham (상참; 常參) was held here, where officials would pay their respects to the king. The ceremony was supposed to be daily, although this was often not enforced. The king used the building as a preparation space before royal ceremonies. It was renovated in 1429. It was destroyed in the 1553 fire and rebuilt.
Gangnyeongjeon (강녕전; 康寧殿) is a building that was used as the king's main residence. First constructed in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo, the building contains the king's bed-chamber. It was renovated in 1433. It was destroyed in the 1553 fire and rebuilt. It was destroyed in the 1876 fire. It was restored in 1888. After the 1917 Changdeokgung fire, it was disassembled and moved to Changdeokgung. It was rebuilt in 1994.
Gangnyeongjeon consists of corridors and fourteen rectangular chambers, each seven chambers located to the left and right side of the building in a layout out like a checkerboard. The king used the central chamber while the court attendants occupied the remaining side chambers to protect, assist, and to receive orders. The building rests on top of a tall stone foundation, and a stone deck or veranda is located in front of the building.
The noted feature of the building is an absence of a top white roof ridge called yongmaru (용마루) in Korean. Many theories exist to explain the absence, of which a prominent one states that, since the king was symbolized as the dragon during the Joseon dynasty, the yongmaru, which contains the letter dragon or yong (龍), cannot rest on top of the king when he is asleep.
Gyotaejeon [ko] (교태전; 交泰殿) is the main palace residence hall. It was originally built in 1440, although it possibly did not function as the main building during the pre-Imjin War era. It was destroyed in the 1553 fire and rebuilt. After being rebuilt by Gojong, it was again destroyed in the 1876 fire. After the 1917 Changdeokgung fire, the Japanese demolished Gyotaejeon and Gangnyeongjeon and used their materials to rebuild Changdeokgung. These are now the buildings Huijeongdang and Daejojeon in Changdeokgung. The current forms of Gyotaejeon and Gangnyeongjeon in Gyeongbokgung were built in 1995.
Hyangwonjeong [ko] (향원정; 香遠亭), or Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, is a small, two-story hexagonal pavilion built around 1873 by the order of King Gojong when Geoncheonggung residence was built to the north within Gyeongbokgung.
The pavilion was constructed on an artificial island of a lake named Hyangwonji (향원지; 香遠池), and a bridge named Chwihyanggyo (취향교; 醉香橋) connects it to the palace grounds. The name Hyangwonjeong is loosely translated as "Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance", while Chwihyanggyo is "Bridge Intoxicated with Fragrance".
The bridge Chwihyanggyo was originally located on the north side of the island and was the longest wooden bridge constructed in the Joseon period. It was destroyed by a bombing during the 1950–1953 Korean War. It was later rebuilt.
Jagyeongjeon (자경전; 慈慶殿), also called Jagyeongjeon Hall, is a building used as the residence of Queen Sinjeong, the mother of King Heonjong. It was in Jagyeongjeon that the 1873 fire began. It was again destroyed in the 1876 fire. During the colonial period, it was used as a museum office. It and its decorated chimney [ko] are designated Treasures of South Korea.
The chimneys of Jagyeongjeon are decorated with ten signs of longevity to wish for a long life for the late queen, while the west walls of the Jagyeongjeon compound are adorned with floral designs. The protruding southeast part of Jagyeongjeon, named Cheongyeollu (청연루; 清讌樓), is designed to provide a cooler space during the summer, while the northwest part of Jagyeongjeon, named Bogandang (복안당; 福安堂), is designed for the winter months. The eastern part of Jagyeogjeon, named Hyeopgyeongdang (협경당; 協慶堂) and distinguished by the building's lower height, was used by the late queen's assistants.
The building and the decorative walls were registered as Korea's Treasure No. 809 on January 8, 1985.
Jibokjae (집옥재; 集玉齋), located next to Geoncheonggung Residence, is a two-story private library used by King Gojong. In 1876, a major fire occurred in Gyeongbokgung, and King Gojong, for a brief period, moved and resided in Changdeokgung Palace. He eventually moved back to Gyeongbokgung in 1888, but he had the pre-existing Jibokjae building disassembled and moved from Changdeokgung to the present location in 1891. Its name, Jibokjae, translates loosely in English as the "Hall of Collecting Jade".
The building uniquely shows heavy influence of Chinese architecture instead of traditional Korean palace architecture. Its side walls were entirely constructed in brick, a method commonly employed by the contemporary Chinese, and its roof formations, interior screens, and columns also show Chinese influences. Its architecture possibly was meant to give it an exotic appearance.
Jibokjae is flanked by Parujeong (팔우정; 八隅亭), an octagonal two-story pavilion, to the left and Hyeopgildang (협길당; 協吉堂) to the right. Parujeong was constructed to store books, while Hyeopgildang served as a part of Jibokjae. Both of the buildings are internally connected to Jibokjae.
Bohyeondang (보현당; 寶賢堂) and Gahoejeong (가회정; 嘉會亭), buildings that also formed a library complex to the south of Jibokjae, were demolished by the Japanese government in the early 20th century.
Taewonjeon (태원전; 泰元殿) was built in 1865. It was used for funerary rites; for example it was used for the 1890 funeral of Queen Sinjeong and 1895 funeral of Empress Myeongseong. During the colonial period, it was moved to Deoksugung, where it was later demolished. The Capital Defense Command occupied its former spot until 1996. It was restored in 2005.
Donggung (동궁; 東宮), located south of the Hyangwonjeong pavilion, were the living quarters for the crown prince and his wife. The four main buildings of the compound were Jaseondang and Bihyeongak, Chunbang (the lecture hall, where the prince received the preparatory education in order to become a future monarch), as well as Gyebang (the security building).
In the 19th century, the future Emperor Sunjong lived in the compound. Donggung was razed to the ground during the Japanese occupation. The restoration work started in 1999 but only Jaseondang and Bihyeongak were restored. In 2020, it was announced that the area would be restored.
Geoncheonggung [ko] (건청궁; 乾淸宮) was constructed in the northern part of the palace in 1873. It was used to receive envoys. It is divided into an anchae (section for women) and sarangchae (section for men). It was likely spared by the 1876 fire. Gojong resided in this building for 12 years. It was the location of the 1895 assassination of Empress Myeongseong. It was demolished in either 1909 or 1929 during the Chōsen Exhibition. It was reconstructed in 2006.
It was debated whether to demolish the museum as part of the original Second Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plan. The current and fourth iteration of the plan, which runs until 2045, does not call for its demolition.
The National Folk Museum of Korea's current building is a modern-style building with three floors above ground and one below. The building first opened in August 1972, and was used by the National General Museum of Korea (국립종합박물관), a predecessor to the National Museum of Korea. Meanwhile, a predecessor to the current National Folk Museum had been operating in Sujeongjeon in the palace since October 4, 1966. The National Folk Museum received its current building in 1992, and it opened to the public on February 17, 1993. The building is set to be demolished and the museum relocated to Sejong City.
The Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office (GPMO; 경복궁 관리소) is headquartered in a small modern-style building in the palace from the colonial period. Construction began on it on June 24, 1914. The building was constructed in 1915, originally as an annex for the Government-General of Chōsen Building and for the Chōsen Industrial Exhibition. It became used by the Cultural Heritage Administration in 1961 and then by the GPMO in 1971. It was renovated in 2007. The second floor is an office space, and the first floor is designed to help quickly mitigate disasters in the palace.
The various Gyeongbokgung Restoration Plans do not advocate for demolishing the building. A politician and a journalist have argued for its demolition, with the latter arguing that maintaining the building contradicts the plans' goal of restoring the palace to its precolonial state.
There is an underground storage facility for the National Palace Museum of Korea in the east part of the palace. It has an area of 5,123.34 m (55,147.2 sq ft) and height of 5.7 m (19 ft). It is connected to the National Palace Museum via an underground tunnel that is approximately 300 m (980 ft) long and 2.4 m (7.9 ft) wide. The tunnel was installed in 1997 to aid travel between the two locations. It and its tunnel are set to be demolished.
There is currently a parking lot on what used to be the site of the Owi [ko] headquarters. The parking lot has space for 290 vehicles, with one floor underground and one above. It is set to be demolished.
The back garden of Gyeongbokgung used to contain the main part of the Japanese Governor-General's residence, that was built in the early 20th century during the Japanese occupation. With the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948, President Syngman Rhee used it as his office and residence. In 1993, after President Kim Young-sam's civilian administration was launched, the Japanese Governor-General's residence in the Cheongwadae compound was dismantled to remove a major symbol of the Japanese colonialism.
In 2011 a survey was conducted by the Seoul Development Institute, which included 800 residents and 103 urban planners and architects. 39 percent of residents voted the palace as the most scenic location in Seoul, following Namsan and Han River in the top spots.
As of April 2024, It is open from 9 am to 5 pm in January, February, November, and December, from 10 am to 6 pm in March, April, May, September, and October, and from 9 am to 6:30 pm in June, July, and August.
In a poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, stated that watching the changing of the guards at the main gate Gwanghwamun is their third favorite activity in Seoul. The royal changing of the guard ceremony is held in front of the main gate every hour from 10:00 to 15:00. There are many tourists wearing hanbok while visiting Gyeongbokgung and there are also a number of rental shops nearby selling hanbok and other traditional Korean clothing.
At Gyeongbokgung, in a program called "Suragan Tasting Sympathy", visitors can experience royal food and watch traditional performances.
On selected days from April to October, Gyeongbokgung offers special 'nighttime viewing' sessions from 7PM to 10PM. 4,500 tickets are offered each session which could be reserved online or purchased on-site (ID required). However, on-site tickets are available only for foreigners and senior citizens age 65 and over, for which 500 and 50 tickets are allocated respectively. In 2019, Gyeongbokgung held 71 nighttime viewing sessions.
From September 1, 2022 to November 6, 2022, Gyeongbokgung offers special 'nighttime viewing' sessions from 7PM to 9:30PM The admission fee is 3,000 won. Online reservations and on-site reservations are available, and up to two tickets are available per person.
During the Joseon Dynasty, royal guards were in charge of guarding and patrolling the gates of the capital and royal palaces. They played roles by dividing the day and night shifts. Each shift in working hours took place.
Today, the changing ceremony of the royal guard (Korean: 수문장 교대의식) in front of Gwanghwamun is recreated just like the Joseon Dynasty. It takes place twice a day.
Today, Gyeongbokgung is open to the public and houses the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Palace Museum of Korea, and traditional Korean gardens.
Gyeongbokgung entry is located 22 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu. The nearest subway station is
There has been off and on talk to extending the Shinbundang Line near the palace including during a March 2012 campaign promise by Hong Sa-duk to expand the line near Gyeongbokgung.