A Turning Point in Korean History — Geongbokgung Palace of Seoul in South Korea

Gyeongbokgung Palace was the first palace in Seoul. It was constructed in 1395 by Yi Seong-gye, three years after his founding of the Joseon Dynasty. The location was carefully chosen because the surrounding mountains provided symbolic anchorage to the Dynasty. With Gyeongbokgung Palace as the seat of power, the new dynasty moved its capital from Gaeseong to Seoul (known in ancient times as Hanyang.) It was burned down many times throughout its long history. Some of the current structures were bare because they were built anew or restored during the 1990s. Yet the history there would serve as the perfect vantage point from which to view the Joseon Dynasty. In 1873, King Gojong built Geoncheonggung between the garden hill of Noksan and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion. He lived in the bed chamber of Geoncheonggung with his queen, the Empress Myeongseong. Korea was embroiled in conflicts and animosities with Japan. Japanese expansionist policies (and Russian influence as well) rose with the first Sino-Japanese War and its attendant consequences for East Asia. A fire broke out in Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1876, and King Gojong moved to Changdeokgung Palace. He came back to live in Geoncheonggung in 1885 for ten years. Perhaps the most fascinating story at the Gyeongbokgung Palace was the assassination of Empress Myeongseong by Japanese assassins in 1895. Empress Myeongseong was a staunch force against Japanese influence during the late 19th century. Her enemies in Korean politics, including her father-in-law, the father of King Gojong, were complicit with the then Japananese Minister to Korea in bringing about her assassination in Geongbokgung Palace. In the early hours of October 8, 1895, insurgent Korean regiments surrounded the palace and overwhelmed the royal guards. They then allowed Japanese assassins in, who then ravaged the Okho-ru (the reconstrcted building of which is pictured above in this entry), where the Queen was. The murder was brutal and against international law. Koreans and foreigners alike were appalled.[1] The Empress’ assassination came to be known as the Eulmi Incident. It would be fair to say that it ushered in Korea’s modern history, the next chapter of which was modern-time colonialism under Japan’s rule beginning in 1905. #seoul #asia #korea #southkorea #joseon #myeongseong #eulmiincident #gyeongbokgung #gyeongbokgungpalace #historicallandmarks#历史古迹