Geunjeongjeon

It is the largest main hall of all Joseon palaces and is regarded as examplary of late-Joseon architecture. Like other Joseon main halls, it has a wŏldae in front used for ceremonies.{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|p=110}} On its wŏldae are rank stones ({{Korean|hangul=품계석|hanja=品階石|mr=p'umgyesŏk|labels=no}}) that mark where officials of various ranks are to stand during ceremonies.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|p=55}} To its east and west are gates to its various annex buildings.{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|p=108}}

{{See also|History of Gyeongbokgung}}

The building was completed in 1395.{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|p=108}}{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|p=96}}{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|p=55}} Five kings were coronated here: Jeongjong in 1398, Sejong in 1418, Danjong in 1455, Jungjong in 1506, and Seonjo in 1567.{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|pp=109–110}} It was renovated in 1426.{{Sfn|이강근|2007|p=37}} It was spared by the 1553 fire that destroyed much of the palace.{{Sfn|이강근|2007|pp=39–40}} There are few records of renovations performed on it, so it is assumed that the building remained in much the same state until it was destroyed in 1592 in the Imjin War.{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|p=110}}

It was reconstructed from the 9th month of 1866 to 1867, possibly with inspiration from the design of Changdeokgung's main hall Injeongjeon, and has remained in much the same form to the present.{{sfn|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009|p=110}} In 1915, the building hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Chōsen Industrial Exhibition.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|pp=55–56}} Japanese Prince Kan'in Kotohito was in attendance at the opening ceremony; he sat on the former Korean throne.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|p=281}} It was also used for the 1923 Chōsen Agricultural Exhibition and 1929 Chōsen Exhibition as an exhibition hall. Beginning in 1926, the building was used for an annual Shinto ceremony to honor deceased Japanese police who died while suppressing the Korean independence movement. The Seoul Historiography Institute described this as an intentionally symbolic act: turning the former seat of Joseon's power into the "Yasukuni Shrine of Chōsen".{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|pp=55–56}} When ceremonies were held in the building during the colonial period, the Governors-General of Chōsen would symbolically sit on the Korean throne.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|p=282}} The building became hidden from view in the front when the massive Government-General of Chōsen Building was completed in front of it.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|p=299}}{{Sfn|Choi|2010|p=205}}

After the 1945 liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule, the building was not properly maintained for several years and became overgrown with weeds.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|p=282}}

The building was restored from January 2000 to October 2003.{{Sfn|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022|pp=55–56}}

File:Courant - Souvenir de Séoul, Corée-07.jpg|Geunjeongjeon (1900)

File:A60 - Palace in Back of Cap.jpg|Geunjeongjeon (1955)

File:경복궁 세종대왕 즉위식.jpg|Reenactment of Sejong the Great's coronation at the building (1999)

File:경복궁 근정전 근정전 내부(궁능유적본부)-min.jpg|The interior, with the Phoenix Throne visible

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |url=https://www.cha.go.kr/cop/bbs/selectBoardArticle.do?nttId=1539&bbsId=BBSMSTR_1021&pageIndex=6&pageUnit=10&searchCnd=tc&searchWrd=%ea%b2%bd%eb%b3%b5%ea%b6%81&ctgryLrcls=&ctgryMdcls=&ctgrySmcls=&ntcStartDt=&ntcEndDt=&searchUseYn=Y&mn=NS_03_08_01 |script-title=ko:경복궁 변천사 (上) |trans-title=History of Gyeongbokgung's Changes (Vol. 1) |date=August 2007 |publisher=Cultural Heritage Administration |language=ko |ref={{SfnRef|Cultural Heritage Administration|2007}}}}
• {{harvc |author=이강근 |year=2007 |c=창건이후의 변천과정 고찰 |in=Cultural Heritage Administration}}
• {{harvc |author=신혜원 |year=2007 |c=1945년 이후의 경복궁 |in=Cultural Heritage Administration}}
• {{Cite book |url=https://history.seoul.go.kr/archive/ebook/view.do?bookguid=35886086-BA41-4591-B22B-933D86F9DF3A |date=October 30, 2022 |publisher=Seoul Historiography Institute |isbn=9791160711462 |volume=1. 궁궐의 훼철과 박람회 |language=ko |script-title=ko:이미지로 읽는 근대 서울 |trans-title=Reading Modern Seoul Through Images |ref={{SfnRef|Seoul Historiography Institute|2022}}}}
• {{Cite book |url=https://www.cha.go.kr/cop/bbs/selectBoardArticle.do?nttId=14457&bbsId=BBSMSTR_1021&pageIndex=26&pageUnit=10&searchCnd=tc&searchWrd=%ea%b6%81&ctgryLrcls=&ctgryMdcls=&ctgrySmcls=&ntcStartDt=&ntcEndDt=&searchUseYn=Y&mn=NS_03_08_01 |title= |date=2009-12-07 |publisher=Cultural Heritage Administration |isbn=978-89-6325-247-6 |language=ko |script-title=ko:조선시대 궁궐 용어해설 |trans-title=Glossary of Joseon-era Palaces |ref={{SfnRef|Cultural Heritage Administration|2009}}}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Choi |first=Jong‐Deok |date=2010-04-01 |title=The palace, the city and the past: controversies surrounding the rebuilding of the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, 1990–2010 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02665431003613014 |journal=Planning Perspectives |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=193–213 |doi=10.1080/02665431003613014 |issn=0266-5433}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Geunjeongjeon}}

Category:Gyeongbokgung

Category:14th-century establishments in Korea

Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1395

Category:National Treasures of South Korea