Geoncheonggung

Geoncheonggung was built in 1873 at the northernmost point of Gyeongbokgung Palace, earning its description as a "palace within a palace." The name means "heaven is clear," and though built in the style of a private aristocratic residence, it was finished with elaborate, refined detail. King Gojong's quarters, Jangandang, and Empress Myeongseong's quarters, Gonnyeonghap, are connected by a covered corridor — the couple lived here for roughly a decade.

In 1895, however, Empress Myeongseong was assassinated by Japanese agents at Okhoru pavilion within Gonnyeonghap, an event known as the Eulmi Incident — turning Geoncheonggung into a site tied to one of modern Korean history's great tragedies. After King Gojong moved his residence to the Russian legation the following year, Japan demolished the Geoncheonggung buildings entirely in 1909.

The site sat empty for decades until reconstruction was completed and the complex reopened to the public in October 2007. Tucked into a far corner of Gyeongbokgung, it sees fewer visitors than the palace's main halls — making it a quieter place to reflect on a pivotal moment in modern Korean history.