Seokjojeon

Seoul, Korea (Palace Map)

Seokjojeon (top photo) was a residence of Emperor Gojong, although he did not spend much time here because the Japanese forced him to abdicate before it was completed. The building was designed by the British architect G. R. Harding and constructed from 1900-1910. It housed the National Museum of Korea from after the Korean War until 1986, when it became an exhibition hall of the Royal Palace Museum.

The bottom photo shows the West Wing, which was built in 1937-1939 by the Japanese occupiers. It began life as the Yi Family Royal Museum, and in 1973 became an exhibition hall of the National Museum of Contemporary Art.