Gyeongbokgung

The first palace

The first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty was named in 1395

Gyeongbokgung was established in 1395 as the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Its name means great blessings palace. The official Chŏng Tojŏn named it after the final two characters of a poem from the Classic of Poetry.

Sejong

Sejong the Great made the palace his own and Hangul was created here

Sejong the Great made Gyeongbokgung his primary palace in 1421. It hosted scientific devices, including the water clock Borugak Jagyeongnu and the astronomical observatory Ganuidae. Sejong led the creation of the Korean script Hangul at the palace.

1592

Burned down in 1592, the palace stood unused for around 270 years

In 1592, during the Imjin War, the palace was completely burned down, and it is debated who did it. Finances were tight, and reconstruction was postponed indefinitely. For around 270 years Gyeongbokgung went mostly unused and undeveloped.

The rebuild

Queen Sinjeong ordered the palace rebuilt in 1865

In 1865 Queen Sinjeong, regent of King Gojong, ordered the palace rebuilt, and the royal family moved in in 1868. Fires in 1873 and 1876 set the work back. In 1887 the first electric light in Korea was turned on here, and reconstruction was completed in 1888.

Dismantled

Under Japanese colonial rule most of the palace was taken apart

As a symbol of the monarchy's authority, the palace was systematically dismantled by the Japanese colonial government. About 500 buildings stood in 1888, and by the end of the colonial period only 40 remained. Restoration began in the 1980s and has recreated dozens of buildings.

40of about 500 buildings remained by the end of the colonial period