Seonjeongneung () is a

burial ground A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

from the

Joseon dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

, located in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. The westernmost tomb, called Seonneung, belongs to King Seongjong (1457–1494) the 9th monarch of Joseon. His first wife,

Queen Gonghye Queen Gonghye (; 17 November 1456 – 9 May 1474), of the Cheongju Han clan (), was the first wife of King Seongjong, 9th monarch of Joseon. She was the Queen of Joseon from 1469 until her death in 1474. Biography Han Song-yi was born Novem ...

of the

Cheongju Han clan The Cheongju Han clan () is a Korean clan well known for their many female members including six queens. The Cheongju Han clan was one of the most prominent clans during the Goryeo period and Joseon period, currently, the Cheongju Han is kno ...

(1456–1474) died at age 18 and is buried near

Munsan Munsan is a town of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies on the south bank of the Imjin River, close to the edge of the Demilitarized Zone and near Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area. History Munsan has a heavy military presence becau ...

, north of

. His third wife, Queen Jeonghyeon of the Papyeong Yun clan (1462–1530), is buried here because she gave birth to the future King Jungjong. Queen Jeonghyeon outlived Seongjong by 35 years and was buried in a splendid tomb to the east. Her grave has a stone fence encircling the mound, whereas her husband's tomb has a retaining wall. Statues of civilian and military officials and their horses stand at attention in front of the graves. South of the tombs is a single T-shaped shrine. There are also several auxiliary buildings for storing the materials used during commemorative ceremonies. Queen Jeonghyeon had a deep interest in Buddhism and founded the nearby Bongeunsa Temple. The other tomb is Jeongneung, located at the easternmost part of the site. This is the burial ground of King Jungjong (1487–1544), the 11th monarch of Joseon. He was the second son of Seongjong, and was originally buried in

Goyang Goyang (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's Satellite city, satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, w ...

, near

. However, his third wife,

Queen Munjeong Queen Munjeong (; 12 December 1501 – 15 May 1565), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the third wife and queen consort of Jungjong of Joseon, Yi Yeok, King Jungjong. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1517 until he ...

, thought it would be better to have him re-interred closer to his father. She expressed a wish to be buried alongside him, but this wish was never carried out, and his tomb stands alone.

References

External links

{{Commons category inline, Seonjeongneung
Royal Tombs (video)
Gangnam District Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty Historic Sites of South Korea Tumuli in Seoul 15th-century establishments in Korea

See also

References

External links