Today, Sungjeongjeon, Jajeongjeon, and Taeryeongjeon stand in a broad park, making Gyeonghuigung resemble a small detached palace. In late Joseon, hundreds of buildings occupied sloping ground across a much larger area. Just as Gyeongbokgung was called the Northern Palace and Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung the Eastern Palaces, Gyeonghuigung was the Western Palace.
It was a working palace where several kings lived
Established under King Gwanghaegun as Gyeongdeokgung, it housed kings and state business from the reign of Injo onward. When other palaces burned, required repairs, or became politically unsuitable, it also served as a piucheo—a temporary royal residence. It was not merely a villa bearing a palace name.
Keijo Middle School occupied the grounds during colonial rule
As royal use declined, buildings were transferred to other palaces or sold. The construction of Keijo Middle School profoundly changed the terrain and plan. Seoul High School continued to use the site after liberation before relocating, after which park development and reconstruction began.
Present structures differ in original location and material
Heunghwamun was moved as roads and buildings changed, then returned to its present position. The Sungjeongjeon precinct was reconstructed through excavation and historical research, while some original buildings survive elsewhere. Distinguishing original survival, relocation, and reconstruction reveals the scale of the palace's dismantling.
