Key takeaways
Empress Myeongseong — the wife of King Gojong, assassinated by Japanese agents in 1895 in an incident that remains one of the most shocking events of Korea's late 19th century — was buried here afterward, in a tomb named "Hongneung." Fact She rested at this site for 22 years before her remains were relocated to be buried together with King Gojong at what is now Hongneung-Yureung in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Fact The name "Hongneung Forest" is directly inherited from this tomb's name. Fact
What to look for on site
- The site marking the former location of Hongneung inside Hongneung Forest today
- "Eojeong," the royal well where King Gojong once rested during visits to the tomb
- The fact that two queens' tombs occupied this same area, at different points in time
Precise phrasing
It's inaccurate to say "Empress Myeongseong's tomb is in Hongneung Forest." Be precise: only the pre-relocation site and related relics remain.