Gyeongbokgung Geunjeongjeon

The throne hall of the great Joseon-dynasty palace in Seoul was the ceremonial heart of royal government, where kings held court, received officials and conducted affairs of state. Set on a stepped stone platform lined with rank stones marking officials' positions, the double-roofed timber hall rises above a broad walled courtyard. Destroyed during war and later rebuilt, it exemplifies the formal architecture of the Korean court and the machinery of the historic monarchy at the palace's centre.