This is Jagyeongjeon, which also means ‘a wish for many good things to happen to mother.’ It is the living quarters of the Queen Dowager. This is where the king, queen, crown prince and the crown prince’s queen begin and end their day as they give morning and evening greetings to the Queen Dowager. According to Confucian teaching, caring for one’s parents is an important virtue. A king could be ousted from his position if people felt that he was not taking proper care of his mother. When a crown prince reached the age of 10 and became king, the Queen dowager ruled as regent. Also, if the king died without having named his successor, The queen dowager would be responsible for naming the next king. Queen Dowager Sinjeong, the last queen dowager of the Joseon dynasty, had this responsibility. By utilizing her power as a queen dowager, Queen Dowager Sinjeong was able to turn the tables to her own political benefit. Queen Dowager Sinjeong’s husband passed away before he became king, and her only son also died at an early age without having children. Driven into a corner by opposition forces within the government, Queen Dowager Sinjeong utilized the sudden death of the king who had been chosen by the opposition. She did this by adopting a twelve-year-old boy from a fallen branch of the royal family as the son of her deceased husband and announcing that he was the next king. That boy was Gojong, the last king of the Joseon dynasty. Gojong and his father built Jagyeongjeon for Queen Dowager Sinjeong to show their gratitude to her. There were probably separate quarters for former Queen Dowagers as well, but no remains of these have survived so it is difficult to tell for sure. Behind this building, there is a chimney that is as beautiful as the flower wall. Don’t miss it.