History of
Unhyeongung Palace
Unhyeongung Palace was the official residence of both Heungseon Daewongun and the future King and Emperor Gojong, who was born and lived there until the age of twelve. However, the original building inhabited by the young Gojong was demolished in 1966 and replaced with the Joongang Culture Center. The current buildings were all constructed when Gojong acceded to the throne and his father (Heungseon Daewongun) ruled the country as regent. The palace holds great historical significance as it was the political stage of Yi Ha-eung, or Heungseon Daewongun, a key political figure of the late Joseon Dynasty. When the royal edict was issued to grant Yi Ha-eung the title of Heungseon Daewongun (regent of Joseon) and his wife the title of Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok on December 9, 1863, his residence was also granted the title of Unhyeongung Palace.
The palace’s Noandang Hall (sarangchae: men’s quarters) and Norakdang Hall (anchae: women’s quarters) were constructed in 1864, while Irodang Hall (anchae and byeoldang: separate houses) was built in 1869. As Unhyeongung Palace grew in size and the regent held ultimate power over the country, guards were dispatched from the main royal palace to Unhyeonggung and the number of custodians was increased, leading to the construction of Sujiksa, a residence to house the additional staff. Furthermore, a gate connecting Changdeokgung Palace, the residence of King Gojong, with Unhyeongung Palace was built for the exclusive use of Heungseon Daewongun. It is also well-known as the background to Kim Dong-in’s novel, Spring at Unhyeongung Palace (1933).
However, Empress Myeongseong moved the heart of King Gojong, who also wanted to govern the country by himself, and eventually had Heungseon Daewongun removed from political life on the pretext of Choe Ik-hyeon’s appeal for the impeachment of Daewongun. As a result, in November 1873, the gate used exclusively by Daewongun to enter Changdeokgung Palace was closed and he stood down from his position. During the Imo Military Revolt of 1882, when rebel soldiers marched to Unhyeongung to ask Daewongun to return to the government, Heungseon Daewongun went back to court and took power again. However, Chinese troops of the Qing Dynasty arrested Daewongun at Unhyeongung and abducted him to Tianjin, only releasing him three years later in February 1885. Upon his return home, Daewongun lived in obscurity in the country, although he never abandoned his hope of returning to power. He died in 1898.
After Japan annexed Korea in 1910, it conducted a land survey of the country in 1912, and confiscated and nationalized the imperial estate of the Korean Empire. At that time, Unhyeongung Palace was also entrusted to the Minister of the Yiwangjik (Office of the Yi Dynasty). However, in reality, the palace was continuously managed by the landladies of Irodang Hall regardless of the owner in management and maintenance.
Following the dispatch of an official letter from the US army military government in Korea in 1948, a legal battle erupted over the ownership of Unhyeongung between the Korean Government and Daewongun’s descendants, and its ownership was awarded to a fifth-generation descendant of Daewongun, Yi Chung, in September of the same year. However, in 1991 Yi Chung sold the palace to the Seoul Metropolitan Government after experiencing great difficulty in maintaining it. From December 1993 to October 1996, a major project to restore the palace was undertaken, and it is currently operated and managed by the Seoul government.