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Gyeongbokgung Palace
built 1395 in the new capital Hanyang (Seoul); burned 1592; rebuilt 1867· Book, artwork, monument or document· Culture, religion & science
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
Joseon's main royal palace, built in 1395 in the new capital Hanyang, today's Seoul.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) sits at the foot of Bugaksan mountain, placed by geomancy (pungsu, Korean feng shui) and Confucian rules for capitals. Minister Jeong Do-jeon named it from a Chinese classic; the name means roughly 'great blessings.' It burned in 1592 during the Imjin War and lay in ruins for about 270 years. Regent Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt it by 1867 at huge cost. Under Japanese rule most buildings were torn down and the Government-General building rose in front (1926). Restoration began in 1990 and continues.
Why it matters
It is the symbolic seat of Joseon power; its building, burning, rebuilding, demolition and restoration track Korea's fortunes from 1395 to today.
How we know
The Sillok record its construction and rebuilding; 19th-century palace plans, colonial-era photographs and excavations since 1990 guide the ongoing restoration.
Connections (3)
▸Gyeongbokgung Palace was burned during Imjin War (Japanese invasions of Korea)Well documented
The connection
When King Seonjo fled Seoul in 1592, ahead of the Japanese advance, Gyeongbokgung and the other palaces burned. The site lay in ruins for about 270 years; kings lived at the rebuilt Changdeokgung until Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt Gyeongbokgung in 1865–1867.
When and how
June 1592 in Hanyang (Seoul), between the king's flight and the Japanese entry into the city.
How we know
Korean and Japanese sources agree the palace burned in 1592, and it stood in ruins until the 1860s.
Debates and open questions
Who set the fire is disputed: a later Korean annal blames Seoul crowds angry at the fleeing king; popular memory blames Japanese troops; some Japanese accounts say it was already burned.
▸Gyeongbokgung Palace was rebuilt by Heungseon DaewongunWell documented
The connection
Gyeongbokgung had lain in ruins since it burned in 1592 during the Japanese invasion. To restore royal prestige, the Daewongun rebuilt it from 1865 with hundreds of buildings. He paid with forced 'voluntary' donations, labor drafts and a debased 100-cash coin (dangbaekjeon) that set off inflation and turned many against him.
When and how
Seoul, 1865–1868; main halls finished 1867, and Gojong moved in the following year.
How we know
Court records of the rebuilding and surviving dangbaekjeon coins; the rebuilt halls themselves still stand.
Debates and open questions
The full cost is unknown, and how much the project's burden caused his 1873 fall, versus court politics, is debated.
▸Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in Hanyang (Seoul) for Yi Seong-gye (King Taejo of Joseon)Well documented
The connection
After moving his capital to Hanyang in 1394, Yi Seong-gye had Gyeongbokgung built as the main palace, with the royal ancestral shrine (Jongmyo) to its east and the altar to the land and grain spirits (Sajik) to its west, following classic Chinese capital plans. Jeong Do-jeon named the palace and its halls.
When and how
Built 1394–1395 in Hanyang (Seoul) at the foot of Bugaksan; overseen by Jeong Do-jeon for King Taejo.
How we know
The Taejo sillok record the construction and Jeong Do-jeon's naming of the palace and halls.
Debates and open questions
The layout was contested: tradition says the monk Muhak favored a different orientation, and geomancy debates about the site continued for centuries.