The white tower on the hill in Jeongdong Park resembles a modest lookout. In fact, it is the remnant of the former Russian Legation, where the king of Joseon lived and conducted state affairs for about a year beginning in February 1896. Koreans call the event Agwan Pacheon: “Agwan” refers to the Russian legation, using the first character of an old Korean name for Russia, while “pacheon” means a monarch moving his residence to escape danger.
Fear after the assassination of Queen Min
In 1895, Japanese agents and members of the Korean military entered Gyeongbokgung Palace and assassinated Queen Min, later posthumously titled Empress Myeongseong. Gojong concluded that his own life was also in danger inside the palace. Before dawn the following year, Gojong and the crown prince escaped Gyeongbokgung in court ladies' palanquins and entered the Russian Legation. The fact that a king considered a foreign compound safer than his own palace captures Joseon's crisis.
When the king moved, the government moved
From inside the legation, Gojong replaced the pro-Japanese cabinet and reversed several policies. Russian influence grew at the same time, and foreign powers competed for concessions. The refuge was neither a simple escape nor a complete decision to side with one country. It was a diplomatic expedient: Gojong used Russia to evade Japanese pressure while exposing the state to intervention by other powers.
Why only one tower remains
The Renaissance-inspired brick legation was badly destroyed during the Korean War; part of the tower and underground passages survive. Stand with the tower behind you and look over low-rise Jeongdong. Trace Gojong's movement from Gyeongbokgung to this hill and then to nearby Gyeongungung. The short distances reveal that the streets of Jeongdong were also the route along which state power physically moved.