Royal Scandal and Tragedy at Changgyeonggung Palace

There are many beautiful places to experience autumn in and around Seoul. I’d read that Changgyeonggung Palace was such a spot, and since we hadn’t visited it yet we put it on our list. We were able to take a free guided tour here and so were able to learn more of the history of this palace. In addition to being very scenic, it also has hosted some strange and tragic moments in Korean history.

King Sejong, the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, first built this palace in the mid-15 century. Its original purpose was to house his father, King Taejong, and his wives and concubines. It’s located east of the primary palace of Gyeongbokgung, so it is also referred to as Donggwol, the “East Palace.”

Our helpful tour guide

Changgyeonggung was destroyed multiple times over the years, first during 16th-century Japanese invasions, and then again during the Japanese colonial period of the early 20th century. The occupying Japanese government built a zoo, botanical garden, and museum on the site. These amusements were moved to a different site and the historical palace reconstructed in 1983. However, this history is still represented in the form of a modern greenhouse that remains on the grounds.

Miniature quince tree with fruit

Although Changgyeonggung is compact compared to the other Seoul palaces, it is surrounded by a large forest. The grounds include more than 50,000 trees, some of which have survived multiple destructions of the palace to live for centuries.

Lace-bark pine tree

A royal scandal was born at Tongmyeongjeon Hall, the sleeping quarters of the king and queen, during the reign of King Sukjong in the 17th century. It was discovered that Janghuibin, the king’s favorite concubine, had buried dead animals in front of the hall to curse the king’s wife, Queen Inhyeon.

Whether as a result of the curse or due to political machinations of the time, King Sukjong did actually demote Queen Inhyeon and adopt Janghuibin’s son as his heir. Later, however, the king reinstated Queen Inhyeon to the throne and banished his royal consort Janghuibin. After the queen’s death of an unknown illness in 1701, the king heard of Janghuibin’s curse and ordered her to be executed.

Later in that century, Changgyeonggung hosted one of the most tragic incidents recorded in Korean royal history. Though it is a famous story, we’ve found that the tour guides we’ve met don’t really want to talk about it. In 1762, the 28-year-old Crown Prince Sado is said to have been behaving erratically and sometimes violently at court. (Viewed through a modern lens, he likely was suffering from a serious mental illness.)

Whether because of enemies conspiring against the prince or because of the perceived shame on his father, King Yeongjo ordered his son to be executed. In his anger, he confined the prince to a wooden rice chest in a palace courtyard where he died eight days later. Prince Sado’s wife famously commemorated his story in her extraordinary autobiography, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong. The Counselor has not read the book and cannot comment further, but the Chemist has read it and found it a culturally informative, if rather long, read. The story was later fictionalized in the novel The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble.

Walking the serene and colorful grounds of Changgyeonggung today, you would never guess that it has seen so much sad history.

Chundangji Pond, one small part of which is original to the palace, was modified during the Japanese colonial period and then renovated in 1986 to reflect a traditional Korean style. Today, it is a peaceful place to walk and see the reflection of the trees in the water.

Our visit to the palace at an end, we finished our autumn day in Seoul with a stroll through nearby Samcheong Park.

And an equally colorful meal of bibimbap with fresh veggies and rice. Meals out are always the most fun after we’ve worked up an appetite with a great walk!