Geunjeongmun Gate is the southern gate of Geunjeongjeon Hall, the main hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is the last gate before reaching the main hall. The gate was used as an important venue to celebrate and announce the national and royal events held in the Geunjeongjeon Hall, such as the coronation of kings, weddings of royal families, and official visits of foreign envoys.

Geunjeongmun Gate was built at the same time as the palace under the reign of King Taejo in 1395. However, it was burnt down in the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 and rebuilt with the Gyeongbokgung Palace during the reign of King Gojong in 1876. During the Joseon Dynasty, the Geunjeongmun Gate remained closed because no one was permitted to pass through except the royal families and envoys from China (Ming and Qing Dynasties). Therefore, when the officials came to attend the morning assembly, they used to use the small gate on the left side of Geunjeongmun Gate. Also, the gate was marked as a significant place where the era of a new king began. The new king would proclaim his volition for his subjects in front of the gate.

The two-story Geunjeongmun Gate is surrounded by a rectangular-shaped gallery with corridors on both sides and is composed of 3-kan (a unit of measurement referring to the distance between two columns) front space and 2-kan side space. Its hip roof shows a trapezoid shape from the front. The staircase in front of the gate was carved with a phoenix, which symbolized the king and the blessing of a peaceful and prosperous reign.

Since it is the only two story building remaining among the south gates of the main palace of Joseon Dynasty, it is now an important cultural asset and a source for studying palace architecture.