Sungjeongjeon Hall, the central building of Gyeonghuigung Palace, was the royal audience hall that served as the king's office since the reign of King Injo in the Joseon Dynasty. "Sungjeong" means honoring state affairs. It was a place where the king managed and discussed politics or the affairs of the nation. The king had a morning assembly with his courtiers or held official events such as feasts and envoy receptions.
"Jeonggung", the main palaces during the Joseon Dynasty, were primarily comprised of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace. However, regardless of being a secondary palace where the king only stayed temporarily, Gyeonghuigung Palace served as the main palace. The most prominent kings of the mid- and late-Joseon Period have stayed here, including King Injo, King Sukjong, King Gyeongjong, King Yeongjo, and King Jeongjo.
There are various reasons why the kings stayed in the Gyeonghuigung Palace. King Injo had to live here because Changdeokgung Palace was burned down during the “Injo restoration”. King Sukjong was born in Changdeokgung Palace, but he often visited Gyeonghuigung Palace, where there is a record of the demise of King Yeongjo. As King Gyeongjong, King Jeongjo, and King Heonjong held their coronation ceremonies at Sungjeongmun Gate, it actually pointed out that all events were held at Sungjeongjeon Hall.
Sungjeongjeon Hall in the current Gyeonghuigung Palace was restored in 1988 during the restoration project of Gyeonghuigung Palace. The actual building of Sungjeongjeon Hall was sold during the Japanese invasion of Korea and is currently located at Dongguk University's Seoul Campus. It is said that the restoration was carried out by using the original building as a reference. However, since the interior of the former building had changed significantly, the interior restoration could only be conducted by referring to Geunjeongjeon Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Injeongjeon Hall of Changdeokgung Palace.
The building that connects the back of Sungjeongjeon Hall is Jajeongjeon Hall. Aren't you curious what other stories are hidden here?