Deoksugung
Encyclopedia
Deoksugung, also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palace
s in Seoul
that was inhabited by various Korea
n royalties
until the colonial period
around the turn of the 20th century. The buildings are of varying construction, including some of natural cryptomeria
wood), painted wood
, and stucco
. Some buildings were built in Western style.
In addition to the traditional palace buildings, there are also an art museum, forested gardens, and a statue
of King Sejong the Great
at Deoksugung. The palace is located near the City Hall Station
.
Deoksugung, like the other "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul, was intentionally heavily destroyed during the colonial period
of Korea. Currently, only one third of the structures that were standing before the occupation, remains.
. This residence became a royal 'palace' during the Imjin war after all of the other palaces were burned in 1592 during the Imjin wars. King Seonjo was the first Joseon king to reside at the palace. King Gwanghaegun
was crowned in this palace in 1608, and renamed it Gyeongun-gung (경운궁, 慶運宮) in 1611. After the official palace was moved to the rebuilt Changdeokgung
in 1618, it was used as an auxiliary palace for 270 years and was renamed Seogung (West Palace).
In 1897, after the incident when Emperor Gojong took refuge in the Russian legation, he returned to this place and named it Gyeongungung again. Expansion of the facility followed after his return. After Emperor Gojong abdicated the throne to Emperor Sunjong, he continued to live in this palace. The palace was then renamed Deoksugung, as a reference to a wish for longevity of Emperor Gojong. Emperor Gojong died in Hamnyeongjeon.
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
that was inhabited by various Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n royalties
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
until the colonial period
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
around the turn of the 20th century. The buildings are of varying construction, including some of natural cryptomeria
Cryptomeria
Cryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
wood), painted wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, and stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. Some buildings were built in Western style.
In addition to the traditional palace buildings, there are also an art museum, forested gardens, and a statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of King Sejong the Great
Sejong the Great of Joseon
Sejong the Great was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. During his regency, he reinforced Korean Confucian policies and executed major legal amendments . He also used the creation of Hangul and the advancement of technology to expand his territory...
at Deoksugung. The palace is located near the City Hall Station
City Hall Station (Seoul)
City Hall Station is a station on the Seoul Subway Line 1 and Seoul Subway Line 2. As its name suggests, Seoul City Hall is located right next to the station. Deoksugung, a historic palace of the Joseon dynasty, is on the other side of the boulevard named Taepyeongno.-Places:Seoul Museum of Art is...
.
Deoksugung, like the other "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul, was intentionally heavily destroyed during the colonial period
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
of Korea. Currently, only one third of the structures that were standing before the occupation, remains.
History
Deoksugung was originally the residence of Prince Wolsan, the older brother of King SeongjongSeongjong of Joseon
Seongjong of Joseon was the ninth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He succeeded King Yejong in 1469 and ruled until 1494.-Reign:...
. This residence became a royal 'palace' during the Imjin war after all of the other palaces were burned in 1592 during the Imjin wars. King Seonjo was the first Joseon king to reside at the palace. King Gwanghaegun
Gwanghaegun of Joseon
Gwanghaegun or Prince Gwanghae was the fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty. His personal name was Yi Hon. Since he was deposed in a coup, later official historians did not give him a temple name like Taejo or Sejong...
was crowned in this palace in 1608, and renamed it Gyeongun-gung (경운궁, 慶運宮) in 1611. After the official palace was moved to the rebuilt Changdeokgung
Changdeokgung
Changdeokgung, also known as Changdeokgung Palace or Changdeok Palace, is set within a large park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Because of its location east of Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeokgung, with Changgyeonggung,...
in 1618, it was used as an auxiliary palace for 270 years and was renamed Seogung (West Palace).
In 1897, after the incident when Emperor Gojong took refuge in the Russian legation, he returned to this place and named it Gyeongungung again. Expansion of the facility followed after his return. After Emperor Gojong abdicated the throne to Emperor Sunjong, he continued to live in this palace. The palace was then renamed Deoksugung, as a reference to a wish for longevity of Emperor Gojong. Emperor Gojong died in Hamnyeongjeon.
Transportation
Deoksugung entry is located 5-1 Geongdong-gil/Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu. The nearest subway station is- City Hall StationCity Hall StationCity Hall Station can refer to any of the following:* Broadway-City Hall Station, a station in Vancouver* Gresham City Hall, a light rail station in Gresham, Oregon* City Hall , a station in Camden, New Jersey...
(Station #132 on Line 1Seoul Subway Line 1Seoul Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, formerly known as the Korea National Railroad of Seoul, is an operation channel which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Asan via Suwon in the south. This line covers a large part...
, Station #201 on Line 2Seoul Subway Line 2Seoul Subway Line 2 is a circular line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The line running clockwise is called the "inner circle line" and the counter-clockwise line is called the "outer circle line." This is Seoul's most heavily used line, and the longest circular subway line in the world...
).