Kings of the Joseon Dynasty traveled far less than we might imagine today. Overseas travel was of course entirely absent, and even domestically, they mainly stayed in Seoul (Hanyang), particularly within the palaces. This was likely a consideration of the costs of "travel." When a king moved, hundreds of people had to accompany him, and the expense would have been astronomical.
Of course, Joseon kings did not remain entirely stationary. A king's travel was called sunhaeng (royal progress), which mainly involved visiting the tombs of ancestors (royal mausoleums) or visiting regional hot springs for health, with hunting along the way. The farthest destination for hot spring visits, separately called onhaeng, was Onyang in South Chungcheong Province. In other words, kings moved only within the nearby areas of Gyeonggi Province, Hwanghae Province, and Chungcheong Province. This excludes the cases of Taejo Yi Seong-gye, who founded Joseon, and Seonjo Yi Yeon, who fled all the way to Uiju during the Japanese invasions of Korea.
In this respect, the special exhibition "1466, A King's Royal Progress to Gangwon Province," held from the 14th to September 27th in the second-floor special exhibition hall of the National Palace Museum of the Joseon Dynasty Annals — operated by the Korea Heritage Service and located in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province — is truly special.
This exhibition is based on the "Annals of King Sejo" and centers on King Sejo Yi Yu's (1417–1468) 39-day royal progress to Gangwon Province in 1466. Even so, Sejo made more regional visits than other kings, and this visit to Odaesan Mountain in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, in particular, is regarded as the case in which a Joseon king traveled farthest from the capital.
What was the reason? The museum newly sheds light — through the annals and various artifacts — on the journey Sejo took to Odaesan to look after the people and discover regional talent, along with the political, cultural, and religious activities Sejo carried out in Gangwon Province. In particular, Pyeongchang is in the same Gangwon Province as Yeongwol, where King Danjong ended his life.
The exhibition consists of three parts. Part 1, "The Royal Progress, the Road the King Passed," examines the route Sejo took to Gangwon Province and the purpose of the progress through the Annals of King Sejo and video content. It reveals that the king's royal progress in 1466 was not a simple regional visit but an important state event to examine the public mood and govern the country. Part 2, "The People Who Accompanied the Royal Progress," introduces the royal family and court figures who accompanied the progress, including the queen, the crown prince (later King Yejong), Grand Prince Hyoryeong, Chief State Councilor Shin Suk-ju, and Second State Councilor Gu Chi-gwan. Through major artifacts on display such as the "Draft Portrait of King Sejo" and the "Portrait of Shin Suk-ju," visitors can vividly encounter the royal family and court of the time.
Finally, Part 3, "Odaesan, the Provincial Special Examination (oebangbyeolsi) and Sangwonsa," highlights Odaesan, the final destination of Sejo's royal progress to Gangwon Province in 1466. Sejo, who deeply believed in Buddhism, held a special civil service examination called oebangbyeolsi at Odaesan to select talent, and also attended the completion ceremony for the reconstruction of Sangwonsa Temple. Through works such as the "Sangwonsa Reconstruction Solicitation Letter (Sangwonsa Jungchang Gwonseonmun)," the exhibition examines the special bond between Sejo and Sangwonsa.
The National Palace Museum of the Joseon Dynasty Annals said, "We hope this will be an opportunity to directly encounter the king's road from 560 years ago by following the records within the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, and to newly understand the historical significance of Gangwon Province and Odaesan."
