Seoul Yeonghwiwon (Sunheon Imperial Noble Consort) and Sunginwon (Yi Jin)

About this place

Yeonghwiwon is the royal tomb of Sunheon Imperial Noble Consort Eom, a concubine of Emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire; Sunginwon is the tomb of Yi Jin, the first-born grandson of Uimin Crown Prince (the last Crown Prince of the Korean Empire). Lady Eom's spirit tablet is enshrined at Chilgung in Gungjong-dong, Jongno-gu. Sunheon Imperial Noble Consort Eom (1854–1911) entered the palace at age eight and became a senior court lady-in-waiting to Queen Myeongseong. In 1897, she gave birth to Crown Prince Yeong, becoming a concubine of Emperor Gojong. She was granted the title of Imperial Noble Consort in 1903 and lived in Gyeongseon Palace. She played a major role in nurturing talent for the nation — founding Jinmyeong Girls' School and Sungmyung Girls' School for women's modern education, and donating 2 million pyeong of land and private treasury funds to Yangjeong School when it faced financial difficulties. She passed away in 1911 at Jeukjodang within Deoksugung, after the annexation. Yi Jin (1921–1922), the first son of Crown Prince Uimin and Crown Princess Yi, was born in Japan. He briefly returned to Korea with the Crown Prince and Princess but died suddenly at Seokjojeon Hall in Deoksugung the day before they were to return to Japan. Emperor Sunjong commanded that his funeral be conducted with great ceremony. Yeonghwiwon was built according to the royal tomb regulations of the Joseon period, with a Hongsalmun gate, Jeongjagak pavilion, and a stele pavilion. Sunginwon was built similarly but on a smaller scale, omitting the hoseok stones and stone sheep, and with smaller stone objects and a burial mound.