Geoncheonggung

Geoncheonggung (乾淸宮) is a palace within a palace built in 1873 (the 10th year of King Gojong's reign) as the living quarters for the king and queen. 'Geoncheong' means 'the sky is clear,' and it is located at the northernmost part of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The building follows the style of a private nobleman's house but is adorned with splendid and delicate decorations. Geoncheonggung consists of Jangandang (長安堂, meaning 'long-lasting peace'), the king's living space, and Gonnyeonghap (坤寧閤, meaning 'the earth is peaceful'), the queen's living space, which are connected by a corridor. King Gojong and Empress Myeongseong lived here for about ten years. However, in 1895 (the 32nd year of King Gojong's reign), the Eulmi Incident occurred, in which Empress Myeongseong was assassinated at Okhoru (玉壺樓, meaning 'jade bottle') in Gonnyeonghap, leading King Gojong to move his residence to the Russian legation the following year. Later, in 1909 (the 3rd year of King Yunghui's reign), it was demolished, and during the Japanese colonial period, an art museum was built on the site before being demolished. In 2007, it was restored to its current form.

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