• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.45-56
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• 2010

This study is dealing with Deoksugung around the founding of the Daehan Empire Era. It will looks closely into how locational contexts and sense of place have been changed according to the subject's view point and the interpretation of text community until Deoksugung is changed into citizen-oriented public place vested with the meaning of public park. In conclusion, Deoksugung was a place for suffering and sorrows, but also it was a place for ceaseless attempt to pursue of the recovery of past without loosing hope. As in the case of uprising war like Japanese invasion of Korea (Imjin Yeran) or Cheong Japan War, Deoksugung was an importantly historical place where autocrat temporarily stayed to stand up for the war and moreover, it was an imperial palace where the ambivalent sensibility between suffering and hope are intermingled in the very first Korean Empire in history. Unlike Kyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, the current Deoksugung has changed its boundary from time to time since Japanese invasion of Korea up to the present. Deoksugung has evolved the present situation as endlessly changing its boundary by interacting with the neighbor of Kyungungung. The more complicated sense of place is coexisted in the features of the Deoksugung. Therefore, current hot topics concerning restoration project of Deoksugung is much more difficult than of other palaces. This issues should be carefully dealt with beyond the political interests.