Meaning of the Construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace Garden Outside Sinmu-Gate – The Experience of Changdeokgung Palace and Heungseon Daewongun's Architectural Intention –

A new analysis reveals that the garden construction outside Sinmu-Gate at Gyeongbokgung Palace, led by Heungseon Daewongun during its 18th-century reconstruction, was a deliberate architectural and political strategy to re-establish Joseon-era governance structures. The study demonstrates that this design choice, featuring administrative buildings like Yungmunjeong and Yungmujeong, mirrored the spatial organization of early Joseon palaces, reinforcing Confucian political ideals by physically separating civil and military institutions while maintaining symbolic continuity with traditional palace layouts. By integrating past examination sites such as Gyeongmudae into the garden's layout, the reconstruction aimed to revive historical governance models, blending functional utility with ideological symbolism.

Lee, K. M. (2025). Meaning of the Construction of Gyeongbokgung Palace Garden Outside Sinmu-Gate – The Experience of Changdeokgung Palace and Heungseon Daewongun’s Architectural Intention –. The Journal of Seoul Studies, 100, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.17647/jss.2025.08.100.01