Cultural Heritage Administration Restores Wall of Injeongjeon Hall at Changdeokgung Palace Collapsed by Heavy Rainfall

Utilizing Traditional Techniques Including Jangdaeseok Ddeojabi

The wall of Injeongjeon Hall at Changdeokgung Palace, which collapsed due to heavy rain in July, has been restored. The Cultural Heritage Administration's Palace and Royal Tombs Division recently completed the restoration work and announced on the 25th that it will be open to the public. This wall, located at the rear of Injeongjeon Hall, has defined the spatial boundary of Changdeokgung's main hall. Out of the 90-meter-long wall, a 16-meter section collapsed due to flood damage.

The Palace and Royal Tombs Division's direct repair team, organized for heritage inspection and maintenance, deployed fifteen skilled craftsmen over three months to carry out the restoration. Traditional techniques were used in the work, including jangdaeseok dry-stacking, applying goeganghoe plaster, building the wall with clay, tile fragments, old bricks, Ilwolseongsin stones, and roof tiles, and applying ganghoe mortar joints. An additional 8-meter section at risk of further collapse was also repaired to ensure safety. Yang Dong-hwa, head of the direct repair team, said, "It is very rewarding to be able to show the complete appearance of Injeongjeon. We will approach our work with pride and a sense of mission to protect this precious cultural heritage."

With this, the Palace and Royal Tombs Division has restored six out of twenty cultural heritage sites and facilities damaged by flood disasters this year, including the roof tiles of the Suragan kitchen at King Hyojong’s tomb in Yeoju. An official stated, "Currently, restoration is underway for the outer wall of Hongneung at Hongyureung in Namyangju, which collapsed during last month's heavy rain, as well as the visitor paths and drainage channels at Yureung."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.