Deoksugung Palace

mongsang_magazine

[Seokjojeon Hall, Deoksugung Palace, Seoul]
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First Western-style stone building. Seokjojeon

Seokjojeon is the first Western-style stone building in Korea built inside Deoksugung Palace. Construction began in 1900 and was completed 10 years later. The exterior was built in 'column-style' and 'neo-classical style' according to Western architectural techniques, and the interior was built in a rococo style. At the time of its completion, it was at the end of the Korean Empire, so it could not be used as the palace of the emperor, and was only used for a while while King Gojong was alive. After a lot of time passed, it was used as the meeting place of the US-US Joint Committee, the National Museum in 1953, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in 1973, and now it is used as the History Museum of the Korean Empire.
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Harding, a British architect, was in charge of Seokjojeon, and the interior was designed by Lobel. Its original purpose was to be built as the king's residence and pyeonjeon. As a building built in the neoclassical style, very strict proportions and left-right symmetry are emphasized. In addition, the front is 54m and the width is 31m, and it boasts a relatively large scale with three floors. It consists of living spaces from the first floor to the living room, the reception room and hall on the second floor, and living spaces such as the bedroom on the third floor. With Ionic columns and gable roofs on the base, it has a shape similar to that of a European upper-class mansion. Among them, in the center of the gable roof, 'Oyat Flower', a symbol of the Korean Empire, is engraved.
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A Western-style garden is located around this place, and there is also a Western-style fountain in the center. But ironically, if you look around the area, it is full of oriental wooden buildings. When I put down the common sense in my head and focused on the sequence, my head was filled with some unknown irony and I felt a little sad. The result of this Gwangmu Reform, which was created to escape from the reputation of being uncivilized in the name of Joseon and not to be ignored, would have been hoped for at that time to become a non-attacking weapon. However, with the fall of the Korean Empire, that wind was abandoned. But today was different. He became confident enough not to be pushed anywhere, and the name of the Republic of Korea itself became a weapon.
The day I visited was an exceptionally bright day. In the high blue sky, under the clouds that seemed to have been painted by someone, traces of nature were shining beautifully. Among them, Deoksugung Palace and Seokjojeon Hall shone dazzlingly.
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From May 10 to May 22, the Palace Culture Festival will be held at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Gyeonghuigung Palace, and Jongmyo Shrine. The Palace Culture Festival is the largest cultural heritage festival in Korea. Under the slogan of 'Meet the palace today', various cultural and artistic programs such as performances, experiences, exhibitions, and ceremonies are held based on the historical and locality. I think the peak of the year, 12 months, 365 days, is the month of May. It is May, when certain subjects shine, and it is a time to feel the preciousness of the bond we have together. I hope you will take the time to enjoy your trip back to the past.
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location
-Deoksugung Palace, 99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul

Information Use
- Deoksugung Palace / Closed every Monday / 09:00~21:00 Entry allowed until 1 hour before closing
- Visiting Seokjojeon Hall of Korean Empire History is only available for additional reservations / advance reservations online.