Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung
경복궁
The palace, with the mountain Bugaksan overlooking it (2008)
General information
Type	Royal palace (former)
Architectural style	Korean
Town or city	Jongno District, Seoul
Country	South Korea
Coordinates	37°34′43″N 126°58′38″E / 37.57861°N 126.97722°E / 37.57861; 126.97722
Current tenants	National Palace Museum of Korea National Folk Museum of Korea
Opened	1395
Technical details
Floor area	415,800 square metres (4,476,000 sq ft)
Website
www.royalpalace.go.kr:8080/html/eng_gbg/main/main.jsp
Korean name
Hangul	경복궁
Hanja	景福宮
Revised Romanization	Gyeongbokgung
McCune–Reischauer	Kyŏngbokkung

Gyeongbokgung (Korean: 경복궁; Hanja: 景福宮; lit. Blessing Scenery Palace), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of the royal family and the seat of government.

Gyeongbokgung continued to serve as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty until the premises were destroyed by fire during the Imjin War (1592–1598) and abandoned for two centuries. However, in the 19th century, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms were restored under the leadership of Prince Regent Heungseon during the reign of King Gojong. Some 500 buildings were restored on a site of over 40 hectares.^[1][2] The architectural principles of ancient Korea were incorporated into the tradition and appearance of the Joseon royal court.

In the early 20th century, much of the palace was systematically destroyed by Imperial Japan during its occupation of Korea.^[3] On January 21, 1963, it was designated as a cultural property.^[4] Since the 1990s, the walled palace complex is gradually being restored to its original form. It also houses the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum within the premises of the complex.