• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.26-34
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• 2023

This study conducted interviews with former and current managers of Cheongwadae landscape architecture to provide basic information necessary to preserve, manage, and utilize Gyeongbokgung Palace's back garden, and the main conclusions summarized are as follows. First, the topography changed a lot with the construction of the main building and the official residence under President Roh Tae-woo. The water system was connected to Gyeongbokgung Palace in the past, but is now disconnected. Second, in the case of planting, the most important principles were the president's security and protocol, and accordingly, trees were placed or managed. Trees were planted by introducing excellent trees in various regions, and wildflowers and ground cover plants were frequently replaced according to the season. Third, facilities and roads were arranged for the president's protocol, hobbies, and workers' rest, and fire-fighting facilities were installed to prevent disaster in the forest area of Baegaksan Mountain. Fourth, the biggest inflection point of Gyeongbokgung Palace's back garden during Cheongwadae period was the change in topography due to the new construction of the main building and official residence during President Roh Tae-woo, the removal of A and B barbed wire fences that separated space during President Roh Moo-hyun, and the extensive landscaping carried out for the G20 Summit under President Lee Myung-bak. The area of Gyeongbokgung Palace's back garden is expected to face another inflection point due to the opening of Cheongwadae on May 10, 2022, and the work of evaluating the historical, academic, and landscape values of Gyeongbokgung Palace's back garden should be carried out while preserving the status.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.7-18
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• 2019

This study analyzed "Bukgwol Dohyeong (Drawing Plans for the Northern Section of Gyeongbokgung Palace)", which is an important source material for the restoration of the palace, by applying Paltaekron, the geomantic principle of bearings, in order to clarify the building layout principle of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gyeongbokgung Palace shows the typical geographical conditions that meet the principle of Baesan Imsu (mountain in the back and water in the front) which takes Baegaksan Mountain as the main mountain and the overall layout of the buildings that meet the principle of 'Jeonchak Hugwan (narrow in the front and broad toward inside)' by using the natural topography that meets the principle of 'Jeonjeo Hugo (low in the front and higher toward back).' It is estimated that this layout and arrangement must have been led by geomantic principle of bearings. The analysis of the building layout plan of Gyeongbokgung Palace in the late Joseon Dynasty Period suggests the application of two methods: one is to divide central area from Gwanghwamun Gate to Geoncheongung Hall into eight layers and the other is to apply the bearings of the Eight Trigrams based on the building that becomes the center. As a result, the gate, main hall, and kitchen of all major buildings where the royal family lived are located in the auspicious bearings according to the geomantic principle of bearings while the spaces where people other than the royal family such as those who served the royal family and the officials operated in the palace or the hall that enshrines the ancestors such as Taewonjeong Hall are located in the ominous bearings. Therefore, the buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace are arranged based on the geomantic principle of bearings.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Noksan is a green area in the form of a hill located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, unrecognized as a cultural heritage space. This study analyzed the literature and the actual site to derive its landscape meaning by examining the background for the formation of Noksan and how it changed. As a result, the identity of Noksan was related to the geomagnetic vein, pine forest, and deers, and the following are its landscape meaning. First, several ancient maps, including the 「Map of Gyeongbokgung Palace」 depicted the mountain range continuing from Baegaksan(Bugaksan) Mountain to areas inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Noksan is a forest located on the geomantic vein, which continues to Gangnyeongjeon Hall and Munsojeon Hall. On Bukgwoldo(Map of Gyeongbokgung Palace), Noksan is depicted with Yugujeong Pavilion, Namyeogo Storage, office for the manager of Noksan, the brook on north and south, and the wall. It can be understood as a prototypical landscape composed of minimal facilities and the forest. Second, the northern palace walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace were constructed in King Sejong's reign. The area behind Yeonjo(king's resting place) up to Sinmumun Gate(north gate of the palace) was regarded as the rear garden when Gyeongbokgung Palace was constructed. However, a new rear garden was built outside the Sinmumun Gate when the palace was rebuilt. Only Noksan maintained the geomantic vein under the circumstance. However, the geographical features changed enormously during the Japanese colonial era when they constructed a huge official residence in the rear garden outside the Sinmumun Gate and the residence of the governor-general and road in the site of the Blue House. Moreover, Noksan was severed from the foothill of Baegaksan Mountain when 'Cheongwadae-ro(road)' was constructed between the Blue House and Noksan in 1967. Third, the significant characteristics and conditions of the forest, which became the origin of Noksan, were identified based on the fact that the geomatic state of the northeastern side of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the naecheongnyong area in geomantic terms(the innermost 'dragon vein' among the veins that stretched out from the central mountain toward the left side), and they planted pine trees to reinforce the 'ground vein' and the fact that it was expressed as the 'Pine Field' before the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. The pine forest, mixed with oaks, cherries, elms, and chestnuts, identified through the excavation investigation, can be understood as the original vegetation landscape. Noksan's topography changed; a brook disappeared due to mounding, and foreign species such as acacia and ornamental juniper were planted. Currently, pine trees' ratio decreased while the forest is composed of oaks, mixed deciduous trees, some ailanthus, and willow. Fourth, the fact the name, 'Noksan,' came from the deer, which symbolized spirit, longevity, eternal life, and royal authority, was confirmed through an article of The Korea Daily News titled 'One of the seven deers in Nokwon(deer garden) in Gyeongbokgung Palace starved to death.'