Seoul. Two palaces, two languages of power

Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung tell different histories. The former was founded in 1395 as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty. Destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592, it remained in ruins for a long period; a major reconstruction was completed in 1867. Later demolition and modern restoration mean that the foundation date does not date every hall visible today.

When the Korean Empire was proclaimed in 1897, the second palace was called Gyeongungung. Gojong established his imperial court there. It received the name Deoksugung only in 1907, following his abdication. Keeping the names in sequence avoids making the site’s entire past appear imperial.

The complex also brings architectural languages together. The institutional history describes the introduction of Western-style buildings and dates the completion of the stone Seokjojeon Hall to 1910. That hall belongs to a later transformation of royal representation, rather than to a medieval original.

A useful comparison follows a particular building through its changing functions. Reconstruction can recover a historical arrangement while also becoming part of modern conservation history. That account is more informative than simply sorting everything into “old” and “new”.