The Establishment of Manwoldae and the King's Space in the Early Goryeo Period

Manwoldae refers to the site of the Goryeo Dynasty's palace, which remains in Gaeseong. In pre-modern times, the royal palace was the political center of the country, and Manwoldae, except for the periods when it was destroyed during the wars and the capital relocation to Ganghwa, served as the main governmental space for most of the 470 years of the Goryeo Dynasty. After the large-scale invasion by the Hong Geonjeok (Red Turbans) during King Gongmin's reign, most of the palace was destroyed, and only traces remained under the Joseon Dynasty. Although surveys and excavations were conducted in North Korea after the liberation, they did not significantly impact academic discussions due to the division of the Korean Peninsula. However, the situation improved in 2007 when joint North-South excavation projects began. Over eight rounds of excavations between 2007 and 2015, substantial research outcomes were gathered, leading to a greater understanding of Manwoldae. While much remains to be done, such as matching the names of buildings recorded in historical texts with the physical remnants of the palace, the current task is to deepen the understanding of the space of Manwoldae. This paper aims to explore the process of constructing the palace in early Goryeo and how the kings existed within that space. Chapter 2 will outline the process of palace construction during the early Goryeo period, focusing on the period from King Taejo's establishment of the capital in Gaeseong to the destruction of the palace during the rebellion of Lee Ja-gyeom in 1126. The reign of King Injong marked the repeated restoration and damage of the palace, and kings in the late Goryeo period began using auxiliary palaces, staying in the main palace less frequently. Therefore, this paper will focus on the peak period of the palace's operation during King Hyeonjong's reign. Chapter 3 will classify the palace space into two main areas: the outer and inner palace. It will analyze how the king existed in these spaces. The palace functioned both as a political space for the king’s governance and as a private living space. The distinction between the king’s public and private life is often not ea sily sepa ra ted, but this pa per will a ttempt to ca tegorize the king’s activities based on the spaces in which they took place. Understanding the people who lived in these spaces is crucial to recreating the life of the palace. It is hoped that this work will contribute to the ongoing archaeological efforts to restore the ma teria l rea lity of Ma nwolda e a nd stimula te further schola rly discussion.