An Essay on Cultural Assets of Gyeonggi Province

Heartbroken to See the Simple House of Queen

Myeongseong 
 
Tears were falling from Queen Myeongseong’s eyes and I couldn’t back my tears. She said, “I am the mother of the state.”

The house where Queen Myeongseong was born is located near Yeoju Nadeulmog, and I visited it on one fine day. It was a simple and small house.

It was a hut built near the grave of Min Yu-Jung, the father of Queen Inhyeon (second queen of King Sukjong) and the 4th great grandfather of Queen Myeongseong, so it is not different from ordinary houses. It well shows the characteristics of ordinary houses of the mid Joseon period.

The main building of the house only remained, but servants’ quarters, detached house and attached house were restored when the house was renovated in 1996. The buildings are placed in the square-shaped layout, creating a cozy atmosphere. Queen Myeognseong grew up in the house in her childhood.

Queen Myeongseong was the wife of King Gojong, the 26th king of Joseon. She liked to read books, and had an upright, thoughtful and bold character. She was a good daughter who was filial to her single mother even after she became Queen. Her handwritings were powerful, showing her dignity as the mother of the country, and she drove innovations and opening of the country with extraordinary diplomatic skills during the modernization period of Joseon.

Japanese soldiers attacked Gyeongbokgung (Palace) at 5:00 AM, October 8, 1895. Japanese soldiers who were waiting for the training unit broke into the Palace. They encircled Geoncheonggung (Palace), where the Queen lived, and assassins searched the Palace. They did not know her, so killed three maids who looked like her. Finally, they spotted the Queen and killed her, tumbling on her and stabbing with a sword. They burnt the body of the Queen with oil in the forest near Okhoru. She was 45 years old when she was killed.

There is Queen Myeongseong Memorial Hall by the house. The Hall was small, but housed belongings of the Queen and materials showing her life. In particular, the national funeral was reproduced, and the sword that killed her (replica), the image of the 2nd Japanese delegation team for remembrance of Queen Myeongseong and the letter of apology written after visiting the house were displayed. I was moved to tears to see the letter of apology written by Japanese. No matter how the history is interpreted, I felt pity for ill-fated life of Queen Myeongseong.

I saw the blue sky after going out of the Memorial Hall. There were many gravestones with inscription, and tourists came and went by sightseeing buses after taking commemorative photos. The mother of Joseon was all alone again, and was waiting for descendants at the house where she was born.

Written by Gil In-Seon and Photographed by Lee Jong-Min