"On the Day of Kim Keonhee's Jongmyo Tea Meeting, the Royal Ancestral Chamber Was Also Opened"

Jeongjeon Hall of Jongmyo Shrine. Photo by Asia Economy Database

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On the day First Lady Kim Keonhee held a tea meeting with outsiders at Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, it was reported that a space dedicated to enshrining the royal ancestral tablets-normally strictly off-limits to visitors-was also opened.

According to materials submitted by the office of Assemblywoman Lim Ohkyung of the Democratic Party of Korea to the National Heritage Administration on October 2, First Lady Kim visited Yeongnyeongjeon Hall at Jongmyo Shrine on September 3 of last year, prior to holding the tea meeting at Mangmyoru Pavilion. At that time, she was accompanied by two foreigners and one interpreter, and Lee Jaepil, Director of the Palaces and Royal Tombs Heritage Center, was also present. The group reportedly toured the Yeongnyeongjeon building and the inner royal chamber.

The royal chamber is a space where the ancestral tablets (sinju) of past kings and queens are enshrined. According to the Palaces and Royal Tombs Heritage Center, the First Lady's party entered through a side fire gate near Yeongnyeongjeon Hall, not the main outer gate, on a Tuesday when Jongmyo Shrine is closed to the public, and stayed at Yeongnyeongjeon for about five minutes.

Regarding the opening of the royal chamber, the Palaces and Royal Tombs Heritage Center explained, "While the First Lady was in the Yeongnyeongjeon area, one section of the royal chamber was opened," and added, "It has been confirmed that none of the attendees entered the interior of the royal chamber." This means they viewed the inside from outside the chamber.

Jongmyo Hyangdaecheong Exterior View. Cultural Heritage Administration

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Since May of last year, the National Heritage Administration has renovated Hyangdaecheong Hall to create a space that permanently recreates the Taejo royal chamber, which is now open to the public. Hyangdaecheong Hall, located right next to Mangmyoru Pavilion where the tea meeting was held, was historically used to store incense and ritual texts for Jongmyo ancestral rites. Controversy is expected, as the royal chamber was opened despite the existence of this recreated space.

Assemblywoman Lim Ohkyung stated, "The demand to open the Yeongnyeongjeon royal chamber for First Lady Kim Keonhee's party clearly constitutes 'abuse of authority' and 'obstruction of official duties by hierarchical order.' If the related suspicions are found to be a case of private use of national heritage, costs should be charged and those responsible should be disciplined. We will also pursue the truth during the National Assembly audit."

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