---
node: gyeongbokgung
type: art
slug: gyeongbokgung
title: "Gyeongbokgung"
lead: "Gyeongbokgung is the main royal palace of Korea's Joseon dynasty, built in Seoul in 1395. Destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries, it is today the most visited of Seoul's palaces."
published: 2026-07-11
updated: 2026-07-11
image_file: gyeongbokgung.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Front_view_of_the_Imperial_Throne_Hall_Geunjeongjeon_at_Gyeongbokgung_Palace_with_blue_sky_in_Seoul.jpg"
image_author: "Basile Morin"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

## Overview

Gyeongbokgung was built in 1395 as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty, three years after Yi Seong-gye founded the dynasty and moved the capital to Hanyang, present-day Seoul. It served as the seat of the kings and the symbolic center of the new state.

## Description

The palace is laid out around the throne hall Geunjeongjeon, shown in the image, where coronations and state ceremonies were held. Among its landmarks is Gyeonghoeru, a grand banquet pavilion rising over an artificial lake.

## History and legacy

The palace burned down during the Imjin War in 1592 and lay in ruins for nearly three centuries, until the regent Heungseon Daewongun rebuilt it on a grand scale in 1867. Much of the complex was demolished during Japanese colonial rule, and systematic restoration has continued since the 1990s. Today it is the most visited of Seoul's palaces.