Sajeong-jeon

Gyeongbokgung Palace
Seoul, Korea

Sajeong Hall, #6 on the ever-helpful palace map, and the two flanking buildings on either side of it, were a suite of offices where the king performed his executive duties and met with his high officials. These buildings are located behind the Throne Hall. It is instructive to compare the exterior and interior of the two halls. The Throne Hall was for spectacle, the Office Hall for work; both functions were (and are still today) necessary to effective government. Both buildings display the Joseon royal screen behind the throne. However, because this was a working office, the king's seat in Sajeongjeon is more practical and chair-like, and less throne-like, than the one in the Throne Hall (previous page).