Daejojeon Hall is the “Naegung Palace”, which is the innermost building. It was the sleeping quarters of the king and queen. Its name, which means "to achieve great achievement," is a blessing bestowed upon the birth of a wise prince.
Daejojeon Hall was first built in 1405, the fifth year of King Taejong’s reign. It experienced a series of destructions and reconstructions due to several fires. It was completely burned down in 1917, along with the Huijeongdang Hall and Gyotaejeon Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which were relocated here for restoration according to the architecture structure of Changdeokgung Palace in 1920. The modern lamps and furniture used at that time remain there.
Daejojeon Hall is only accessible through Huijeongdang Hall or the side gate. The three sections on the left are the queen’s quarters, and the ones on the right are the king’s quarters. The hall is surrounded and connected by many subsidiary buildings. Its west is connected to Yunggyeongheon Hall, while its east is connected to Heungbokheon Hall.
Heungbokheon Hall was the place where the last royal meeting of the Korean Empire was held in 1910. It had recorded the scene of the misfortune at the end of the era of the Korean Empire. Except for Emperor Sunjong, the last monarch of the Korean Empire, all the ministers who attended the ceremony were pro-Japanese, including Masatake Terauchi, the governor-general of Korea at the time. Empress Sunjeong, who was only 17 years old, learned of this meeting and desperately tried to protect the imperial seal, the seal of the Korean emperor, in order to prevent the sovereignty of Korea from passing to Japan. However, her father and uncle, who were pro-Japanese collaborators, forcibly took it away. The last mother of Korea tried her best to protect her country. Sadly, she was betrayed by her family and became the last empress to witness the history of the Korean Empire.
Daejojeon Hall could not fulfill the role of its name until the end. But its continued existence provides insight into its past.