The lively city of Seoul, capital city of South Korea, boasts an impressive cultural and historical legacy ripe for closer exploration, whether your travels to Seoul are for business or pleasure. When seeking accommodation in the city, consider an exclusive Seoul apartment such as those featured at the Somerset Palace Seoul. With luxury interiors and close proximity to many of Seoul’s entertainment and dining options, this is the ideal choice of Seoul serviced apartments for any corporate or vacation trip. Close by is the beautiful Gyeongbok Palace, which has seen a tumultuous history and it is a Seoul landmark worthy of exploration. Built in the fourteenth century under the patronage of the Joseon Dynasty, it suffered a complete razing courtesy of a fire in the sixteenth century and then later destruction by the Japanese empire in the early twentieth century. However, in the past fifty years, the South Korean government has undertaken a massive reconstruction project to restore the Gyeongbok Palace to its former glory, and as of 2010, almost 40% of the restoration work had been completed. The palace was built three years after the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, and it served as its primary palace. It was situated in the very epicenter of then Korea’s capital city, blanked by the magnificent Mount Bugaksan as a backdrop. After the palace was razed to the ground in a fire and abandoned for almost three centuries, it witnessed reconstruction on a grand scale in 1867 at the order of Prince Regent Heungseon Daewongun. He oversaw an elaborate construction of 330 structures organised in a complex labyrinthine design, which unfortunately was completely destroyed by the Japanese empire during its occupation of the country. Despite the travails the palace has suffered, it is now en route to assuming the mantle of the prominent palace it held during the height of the Joseon Dynasty.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and intends to visit them all someday.