Yukjo Street was more than a broad avenue occupied by six offices. On both sides of the route toward Jongno stood Uijeongbu, the ministries of Personnel, Taxation, Rites, Military Affairs, Punishments, and Public Works, Hanseongbu—the capital administration—the Office of the Inspector-General, and other agencies. The functions of policy, appointment, finance, ceremony, defense, justice, and construction were physically laid out before the king's palace.
Position expressed hierarchy as much as function
Distance from Gwanghwamun and placement on either side of the avenue related to institutional standing. Senior state councillors deliberated at Uijeongbu, while the six ministries handled specialized administration. The arrangement shows a political order in which monarch and officials consulted one another but remained ranked around the palace.
Ordinary people also used the government avenue
It was not an enclave reserved for officials. Petitioners and litigants, suppliers of goods and labor, diplomatic processions, and royal entourages shared the road. It was both a formal ceremonial route and an everyday corridor of complaints and livelihoods.
Excavated remains are not the same as a documentary floor plan
Work on the plaza uncovered foundations, drains, and road traces connected with offices including Samgunbu, a military authority, and the Inspector-General. Not every feature remains exposed; some locations and forms are represented above ground. Read the signs to distinguish excavation, in-situ preservation, and modern visualization.
