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Jungmyeongjeon Hall (중명전)

Jungmyeongjeon Hall (중명전) · © KTO · KOGL Type 3

Seoul

Jungmyeongjeon Hall (중명전)

Jungmyeongjeon Hall is a curated attraction in Korea — full details, hours, and access info on the official Korea Tourism page.

ROOTIconic stop curated by Korea Tourism OrganizationSeoul's distinctive city pulseEnglish-friendly

Why go

Jungmyeongjeon Hall is a small Western-style brick building in central Seoul where Emperor Gojong was forced to sign the 1905 Eulsa Treaty that ceded Korea's diplomatic rights to Japan. The building was originally part of Deoksugung Palace's Western pavilions and has since been restored as a museum focused on that single, devastating moment in Korean history. The exhibits are compact but well-translated into English, walking through the lead-up to the treaty and Gojong's later attempts to revoke it. Plan about forty minutes inside. The hall sits just outside Deoksugung's wall, so combine it with the main palace and the Seoul Plaza area for a focused half-day on late-Joseon and colonial-era Seoul.

Quick highlights

  • Site of the 1905 Eulsa Treaty signing under Japanese coercion
  • Restored Western-style brick hall of Deoksugung Palace
  • Compact museum with strong English captions
  • About forty minutes for the full exhibition
  • Combine with Deoksugung Palace and Seoul Plaza

Nearby best pairs

Other places in Seoul that pair well with this visit.