Mountain (also known as Bugaksan Mountain) at the backdrop, and a wide Yukjo Street unfolds before Gwanghwamun Gate, the main gate of the palace. The name "Gyeongbok" means that "the new dynasty shall have good fortunes and prosper." Gyeongbokgung Palace was the very place where Hunminjeongeum (a script for writing the Korean language) was created and distributed.
Gyeongbokgung Palace was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in 1592 (the 25th year of King Seonjo). It was left in ruins for many years, only to be restored in 1867 (the 4th year of King Gojong), 270 years after the war’s end. During the restoration by King Gojong, the palace was added with new buildings such as Geoncheonggung Palace, Taewonjeon Hall, and Jibokjae. In particular, Okhoru Pavilion at Geoncheonggung Palace is where the tragic incident of the Assassination of Empress Myeongseong (1895) took place.
The shameful Korea–Japan Treaty of 1910 marked the beginning of the systematic destruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Most buildings were destroyed for the sake of hosting the Joseon Industrial Exhibition in 1915. In 1926, the entire palace was put in the shadow of the building of the Governor-General of Joseon. The palace restoration project began in the 1990s, and the Governor-General of Joseon building was demolished in 1996. The areas around Heungnyemun Gate, the royal living quarters, Geoncheonggung Palace, Taewonjeon Hall, and Gwanghwamun Gate were restored and stand to this day.