Calling Changdeokgung simply “the palace built after Gyeongbokgung” understates its actual importance. Joseon established Gyeongbokgung as its formal main palace after moving the capital to Hanyang. Following violent succession struggles and a reorganization of royal power, King Taejong built a new palace to the east in 1405. Together with Changgyeonggung, it became part of the Eastern Palaces, or *Donggwol*, where royal residence and government concentrated.
A secondary palace was not an unimportant royal retreat
An *igung*, or secondary palace, allowed the monarch to relocate and continue governing away from the formal main palace. Kings moved between compounds in response to politics, fire, mourning, geomantic concerns, and practical comfort. A fixed ranking of one true palace and several minor residences is less useful than asking which king lived and worked in which compound during a particular period.
Changdeokgung was the first major palace restored after the Imjin War
The Japanese invasions beginning in 1592 left the capital's palaces burned. Changdeokgung was rebuilt in 1610, earlier than the others. Until Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed in the late 19th century, multiple kings ascended the throne and governed here. Changdeokgung is therefore an essential stage for the politics and royal life of late Joseon, not merely an architectural supplement.
Long use does not mean the founding-period fabric remained unchanged
Changdeokgung endured repeated fires, repairs, and reconstruction. Colonial rule removed buildings and altered circulation and gardens; some structures received modern interiors. Visitors should distinguish an institution's foundation date from the reconstruction date of the building now standing. The phrase “a 600-year-old building” cannot accurately assign the same age to every beam and roof tile.