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Royal Tombs
Royal Tombs and Its History

Royal Tombs and Its History

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty inscribed in the UNESCO's list of the World Heritage Sites in 2009 refer to 40 graves of the monarchs and their consorts who ruled Joseon (1392-1897) and the Korean Empire (1897-1910).

The royal tombs comprise the forty-two tombs of the seventy-three rulers and their consorts of Joseon (1392-1897) and the Korean Empire (1897-1910). Established based on the state ideology of Confucianism, the Joseon dynasty was meticulous in its construction and management of the graves of the royal ancestors according to the virtues of filial piety and ceremonial propriety. The construction of a royal or imperial tomb typically began with a quest to find the most auspicious site based on the principles of pungsu (or feng shui). Each tomb had to be located in the capital area not far from the royal palace so that the reigning kings could make frequent visits to their ancestral graves. The construction of the royal tomb followed the discovery of an auspicious site. Construction entailed dividing the site into three sections: a section where the spirits of the king and his queen consort(s) were laid to rest in everlasting peace, a section where ceremonies honoring their virtues and achievements were held, and a landscaped section which enclosed the tomb in a state of natural harmony with its surroundings.

The royal tombs of Joseon are a rare example of tombs of an entire dynasty that have been almost entirely preserved in their original condition. More remarkably, the construction and management of each of these royal tombs, which took five months on average from discovering the burial site to completion of the tomb, were recorded in detail in the protocols and chronicles called Uigwe and Neungji, respectively. The annual memorial rites to the royal ancestors of the Joseon dynasty are still held today in the precincts of the tombs, making them a tangible heritage of the traditional virtues of filial piety and ceremonial propriety maintained by the Korean people.

List of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

Historic Site	Royal Tomb Name	Royal Tomb Owner	Form
East Nine Royal Tombs, Guri	Geonwolleung	King Taejo	Single Burial
	Hyeolleung	King Munjong, and Queen Hyeondeok	Double Hill Twin Burials
	Mongneung	King Seonjo, Queen Uiin, and Queen Inmok	Double Hill Twin Burials
	Hwireung	Queen Jangnyeol, the Second Consort of King Injo	Single Burial
	Sungneung	King Hyeonjong, and Queen Myeongseong	Twin Burials
	Hyereung	Queen Danui, the First Consort of King Gyeongjong	Single Burial
	Wolleung	King Yeongjo, and Queen Jeongsun	Twin Burials
	Sureung	Honorary Emperor Munjo and Honorary Empress Sinjeong	Double Burial
	Gyeongneung	King Heonjong, Queen Hyohyeon, and Queen Hyojeong	Triple Burials
Heolleung and Illeung Royal Tombs, Seoul	Heolleung	King Taejong, and Queen Wongyeong	Twin Burials
Heolleung and Illeung Royal Tombs, Seoul	Illeung	King Sunjo, and Queen Sunwon	Double Burial
Yeongneung and Nyeongneung Royal Tombs, Yeoju	Yeongneung	King Sejong, and Queen Soheon	Double Burial
Yeongneung and Nyeongneung Royal Tombs, Yeoju	Nyeongneung	King Hyojong, and Queen Inseon	Single Hill Twin Burials
Jangneung Royal Tomb, Yeongwol	Jangneung	King Danjong	Single Burial
Gwangneung Royal Tomb, Namyangju	Gwangneung	King Sejo, and Queen Jeonghui	Double Hill Twin Burials
West Five Royal Tombs, Goyang	Gyeongneung	Honorary King Deokjong and Honorary Queen Sohye	Double Hill Twin Burials
	Changneung	King Yejong, and Queen Ansun	Double Hill Twin Burials
	Myeongneung	King Sukjong, Queen Inhyeon and Queen Inwon	Double Hill Twin Burials
	Ingneung	Queen Ingyeong, the First Consort of King Sukjong	Single Burial
	Hongneung	Queen Jeongseong, the First Consort of King Yeongjo	Single Burial
Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs, Seoul	Seolleung	King Seongjong, and Queen Jeonghyeon	Double Hill Twin Burials
Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs, Seoul	Jeongneung	King Jungjong	Single Burial
West Three Royal Tombs, Goyang	Huireung	Queen Janggyeong, the Second Consort of King Jungjong	Single Burial
	Hyoreung	King Injong, and Queen Inseong	Twin Burials
	Yereung	King Cheoljong, and Queen Cheorin	Twin Burials
Taereung and Gangneung Royal Tombs, Seoul	Taereung	Queen Munjeong, the Third Consort of King Jungjong	Single Burial
Taereung and Gangneung Royal Tombs, Seoul	Gangneung	King Myeongjong, and Queen Insun	Twin Burials
Jangneung Royal Tomb, Gimpo	Jangneung	Honorary King Wonjong and Honorary Queen Inheon	Twin Burials
Jangneung Royal Tomb, Paju	Jangneung	King Injo, and Queen Inyeol	Double Burial
Uireung Royal Tomb, Seoul	Uireung	King Gyeongjong, and Queen Seonui	Single Hill Twin Burials
Three Royal Tombs, Paju	Gongneung	Queen Jangsun, the First Consort of King Yejong	Single Burial
	Sulleung	Queen Gonghye, the First Consort of King Seongjong	Single Burial
	Yeongneung	Honorary Emperor Jinjong and Honorary Empress Hyosun	Twin Burials
Yungneung and Geolleung Royal Tombs, Hwaseong	Yungneung	Honorary Emperor Jangjo and Honorary Empress Heongyeong	Double Burial
Yungneung and Geolleung Royal Tombs, Hwaseong	Geolleung	King Jeongjo, and Queen Hyoui	Double Burial
Hongneung and Yureung Imperial Tombs, Namyangju	Hongneung	Emperor Gojong, and Empress Myeongseong	Double Burial
Hongneung and Yureung Imperial Tombs, Namyangju	Yureung	Emperor Sunjong, Empress Sunmyeong and Empress Sunjeong	Double Burial
Jeongneung Royal Tomb, Seoul	Jeongneung	Queen Sindeok, the Second Consort of King Taejo	Single Burial
Sareung Royal Tomb, Namyangju	Sareung	Queen Jeongsun, the Consort of King Danjong	Single Burial
Olleung Royal Tomb, Yangju	Olleung	Queen Dangyeong, the First Consort of King Jungjong	Single Burial

The Forms of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

Single Burial

A royal tomb where either a king or queen was buried alone.
Twin Burials

A royal tomb where a king and queen were buried under separate mounds built on the same hill.
Double Burial

A royal tomb where the king’s body was buried with queen’s under the same mound.
Double Hill Twin Burials

A royal tomb where a king and queen were buried under separate mounds built on separate hills, with the T-shaped shrine (Jeongjagak) between the two.
Single Hill Twin Burials

A royal tomb in which the king’s mound was built above his queen’s, on the same hill.
Triple Burials

A royal tomb where a king was buried with his two queens, each under separate mounds built on the same hill.